Novak Djokovic is back. If anyone still doubted it after his two-day, five-set, five-hour semifinal win over Rafael Nadal in perhaps the best match of 2018 in the Wimbledon semi-finals, surely those doubts will be assuaged after the Serb brushed aside Kevin Anderson in straight sets in the 2018 Wimbledon final.

With it, he claimed his fourth Wimbledon and 13th Grand Slam title - and moved clear of Roy Emerson on the all-time list for most major crowns.

It has been a tough couple of years for Djokovic, who, until this fortnight, has not been able to find the form that took him to four consecutive Grand Slam titles in 2015-16. But now, after a convincing 6-2 6-2 7-6(3) victory in the final here on Sunday, Djokovic stands tall again and seems ready to reconquer the tennis world.

"I couldn't pick the better place, to be honest, in the tennis world to peak and to make a comeback," he said later. "Wimbledon has been always a very special tournament to me, and to many players obviously. I dreamed of winning it when I was a seven-year-old boy. I made a lot of improvised Wimbledon trophies from different materials. I really always dreamed of winning Wimbledon."

In all likelihood this tournament will be remembered for its semifinals before thought is given to the final. As if recovering from 0-2 down to defeat defending champion Roger Federer in the quarterfinals wasn't enough, Anderson hauled himself through more than six and a half hours against John Isner - the second-longest Grand Slam singles match in history - to reach the final.

Regrettably, the results of those exertions were evident in Sunday's final. The South African's long limbs seemed weary from the outset, and Djokovic, despite his own struggles in the last four, capitalised with great efficiency, ensuring that Anderson would not benefit from quick points or unforced errors.

The first two sets went by in a flash with Djokovic dropping just four games, but Anderson made it a contest in the third stanza, and had four opportunities to snatch the set and prolong the contest. All four were snuffed out by the Serb, however, and Djokovic rediscovered his ruthlessness in the tiebreak to seal the title.

"The first game I made a break of serve was a perfect possible start. After that I cruised for two sets," Djokovic analysed afterwards. "In the third set, he started hitting his spots with the serve much better. He started swinging through the ball, making less errors. He was the better player in the third set, without a doubt. I was just trying to hold on and keep my composure in decisive moments. I served well, played some good shots when I was set points down, then played a perfect tiebreak to finish."

Djokovic's journey back to the top of the game is not yet complete. He re-enters the world's Top 10, at No. 10, for the first time in nearly nine months on Monday, but he will doubtless aim to return to the summit of the game - and with no ranking points to defend in the second half of the season he seems well-positioned to do so.

Anderson, and the eight other men currently ahead of Djokovic, will hope to make it as tricky for the Serb as possible. One morsel of consolation for the South African is that he becomes a Top 5 player for the first time on Monday. And he will be keen to build on his successes here this week when he returns to the North American circuit, where he enjoyed his breakthrough run to the US Open final last year, later in the summer.

"I definitely believe I have the game to win these tournaments," he reflected later. "Even though it was a huge goal of mine, if you asked me this time a year ago, I don't think I could sit here and say I really believe that I can win a Grand Slam and a Masters Series and say it with the same self-belief and confidence that I can now.

"Obviously, that's by no means a sure thing whatsoever, but it's a big starting point. It's taken a long time to get to this point. I feel like I'm on a great path. I'm trusting the process a lot. I have to continue doing that."

Such positivity makes one sure that Anderson will be back, refreshed and revitalised and ready to have another crack at major glory. For Djokovic, who has now enjoyed that sweet taste of major success on 13 occasions, now is a time to reflect on where this latest achievement ranks in his personal pantheon of Grand Slam success.

"It's really hard to compare this year's victory and trophy with any of the other three (Grand Slams) because they're all special," he said. "But one thing was different this time. My son was at the trophy ceremony," he added, smiling, "which made it extra special."