“History is on the line,” Novak Djokovic said, looking ahead to Sunday’s gentlemen’s final. Yes, Novak, but, when is it not when you play here?

Chasing an eighth Wimbledon title to equal Roger Federer’s record and a 25th Grand Slam title in all to head the leaderboard – male or female – at that level, there is indeed a lot of history on the line this weekend. And the man trying to make it his is looking awfully confident about his chances.

He was given a stern test against Lorenzo Musetti on Friday afternoon – the Italian plays a unique game of power, touch, speed and imagination – but he still came through unscathed 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-4.

Whenever Musetti threatened, Djokovic raised his game and increased his focus (if that were possible). But the man himself was not blowing his own trumpet: it was a decent effort but that was all.

“I thought that I didn’t play my best, to be honest,” he said, which did not bode well for Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday. “But in all three sets I probably played a little bit better than him and that was enough.”

Looking relaxed and at ease, it was hard to imagine that he had knee surgery just over a month ago and was not sure whether he would even play at all until a few days before The Championships started. But following the doctors’ orders, he did as he was told and somehow got himself ready for another title challenge.

“I don't want to prove people wrong,” he said. “I was really focused on, you know, trying to make Wimbledon happen for me this year.

“The first couple of rounds maybe I wasn't moving as well, and I was still finding that freedom to move, so to say.

“Then third, fourth round particularly onwards I felt like, OK, I’m not thinking about the knee. I’m actually playing free, and I’m playing as good as I can.”

And we all know what happens when he plays “as good as I can”. He has seven Wimbledon trophies at home to prove it.

Yet Alcaraz also has a habit of winning big titles when he is at his peak. He, like Djokovic, has not been in peak form so far but he has found a way to win.

“He’s a very all-around player, very complete player,” Djokovic said of his fellow finalist. “Impressive what he has done for such a young age. I think probably all of us share the same opinion, that he’s going to win many Slams in his career.

“I hope he’s going to give me this one in two days, and let’s see. After that I’ll cheer for him.”

As for Musetti, he was down but most definitely not out. The past 12 days have been the best of his life at a Grand Slam. Now that he was on his way home, there was still a spring in his step. He had learned much during his time in SW19.

“I bring home a lot of positive things,” he said. “I think I have to recognise that myself, I can face almost anyone, I have to say, in the Tour, that I can win with anyone.

“Probably before this tournament, I didn’t have the knowledge, you know, to be someone that can beat anybody. I have to say after this tournament, especially in a Slam where the match gets longer.

“But I think my level can be even better, I mean, even better in the best of five. I have to say that I go home with this thought that I can beat almost everybody.”

Almost everybody but not Djokovic.

They had met six times before and Musetti had won once. This time, though, he found himself facing a totally different foe; one he had never met before.

“I was saying to his team in the locker room, I never faced a Nole like this, I think,” Musetti said.

“Today I was really impressed. I never face him on grass. I think his tennis really fits very well on this surface. Especially how he returns, it’s something like a kind of joke. I have to say today was really a joke at the end how he was returning.

“Of course, also in important points he was playing, especially on the second set, like at the end, I had let’s say most chances to break him, but he was serving really well. He deserved to win.”

That is the thing with Djokovic at Wimbledon: he usually deserves to win. That he made his way through to a 10th final was really never in doubt.