Novak Djokovic raised his arms aloft, and now, in the twilight of his career, does Centre Court break into song at his request.
The 39-year-old, on a quest for his eighth title on the hallowed All England grass, has somehow reversed the impossible.
How could a man so brilliant be so despised? Three reasons. Roger Federer. Rafael Nadal. Andy Murray.
The Serb just could not shake his part as the pantomime villain, but at this year’s Championships, in the absence of the now-retired ‘big three’ and the boy wonder Carlos Alcaraz, the Wimbledon faithful are finally warming to the greatest ever. Better late than never.
His five-set thriller - 7-6(10) 3-6 6-3 7-6(4) 7-6(4) - against Felix Auger-Aliassime will live long in the memory, with the veteran remarking in his on-court interview that it was one of the best encounters he had had on that famed arena, where he has triumphed seven times previously.
Djokovic eclipsed Roger Federer’s record of all-time men’s match-wins on the south London grass with his four-set victory over Roman Safiullin in the last 16, but it was in the last eight where he was made to question it all.
Much has been made of the Serb in recent years. Is he past his sell-by date? Is playing purely for the ‘love’ of the game enough to keep him hungry as the new blood continues to bed in?
Every press conference he sits in, he is asked about his retirement plans. And for moments in this match against 25-year-old Auger-Aliassime, a man 14 years his junior, there were times when the Serb would stare at the turf that he has tasted seven times before and wonder what this is all for. Is it all worth it? Hasn’t he won enough? Hasn’t his body been through enough?
No, as it turns out, and there is still - incredulously - life in the old dog yet, despite his insistence afterwards that he needed simple questions to answer as he had “no energy left” after five hours and 15 minutes on court.
That assessment appeared valid, with his simply ridiculous court coverage and shot selection, combined with his heart of a lion, allowing him to haul himself back from not one but two setbacks to move into his 55th Grand Slam semi-final.
Djokovic had already dropped a set to three of his four opponents en route to the quarter-finals, perhaps an indicator that it was time to be out with the old and in with the new, as Joao Fonseca’s stunning five-set victory over him at Roland-Garros seemed to suggest as well.
But each and every time he has been faced with a crisis in his career, he has stepped up. Not always calm and composed, but he roars back - literally - and he wins. Twice here against the world No4 he was pegged back, with the Canadian snaring the second and fourth sets in this marathon match.
The second set was the shortest of the lot - lasting (only) 40 minutes as it looked as though the third seed’s youthful exuberance would see him rise to the fore and reach a maiden major semi-final himself.
But each time he found himself down, Djokovic found a way. In the dark, he found light - literally, as the floodlights beat down on the battered surface - while there were times he had to go hunting at great heights, gazing into the high heavens in disbelief at fortuitous net cords or in sheer disbelief at how good he was getting from the man across the net.
Djokovic remains the blast from the past, and perhaps that nostalgia is what has endeared him to the masses on Centre Court at long last. It is quite the redemption arc.
And as a final Auger-Aliassime backhand flew into the tramlines, he raised his arms aloft, ready to conduct the chorus that is now firmly in the palm of his hand.
© The Standard Ltd