By the end of Sunday, Novak Djokovic could be a step closer to writing his name in history. Victory against Matteo Berrettini of Italy in the final would give him a sixth Wimbledon title, a record-equalling 20th grand slam title and would leave him needing just the US Open to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete the calendar-year grand slam. With the Olympics to come before then, there is even a chance that he could emulate Steffi Graf’s unique feat in 1988, when she won all four slams and the gold medal in Seoul to win the “golden slam”. For all the achievements of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who currently sit atop the men’s all-time grand slam list, Djokovic could soon surpass them both. It’s a goal Djokovic has been happy to talk about ever since he won his second French Open last month. In 2016, he was in a position to do it, too, after winning in Melbourne and Paris, only to fall in the third round here and then lose in the first round at the Olympics. Five years ago, fulfilling a lifetime goal with victory at Roland Garros had left him bereft, his motivation lacking. Now, he’s a man on a mission. “It would mean everything,” Djokovic said of another Wimbledon title after his win against Denis Shapovalov of Canada in the semi-final. “That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m playing. I imagined myself being in a position to fight for another grand slam trophy prior to coming to London. I put myself in a very good position. “Anything is possible in the final. Obviously experience is on my side. But Berrettini has been winning a lot of matches on grass courts this year, winning Queen’s. He’s in great form. He’s serving big, playing big. So it’s going to be a very tough match I think for both of us. But I’m looking forward to a great battle.” Battling, of course, is what Djokovic does best. At 34, he seems to cover the court as well as he ever did, making it seem small for his opponent, the target so tiny they often miss. His resilience knows no bounds and his ability to come up with the right shot when the pressure is at its maximum is perhaps his greatest quality. That, and an almighty experience gap, is what the 25-year-old Berrettini has to overcome on Sunday if he is to become the first Italian to win Wimbledon, male or female. The seventh seed could emulate Boris Becker’s achievement of 1985 when, at the age of 17, he won the title at Queen’s Club on his debut and then took the Wimbledon title. Becker was one of the first people Berrettini met when he arrived at Wimbledon to practise after his win at Queen’s. The German, who also won the title here in 1986 and 1989, told him to keep his mind clear if he wanted to have a good chance. “When I crossed sides with Becker, he told me: ‘To have a long run in Wimbledon, you have to be like that, like this, try to do this,’” Berrettini said. “I’m like: ‘OK, maybe this guy he [arrived] in Wimbledon and he thought about making the final.’ I didn’t think like that. I knew I could do it, but I didn’t think: ‘I am going to do it.’” Berrettini has the weapons to cause some damage, with his 101 aces the most of anyone in the tournament. The two men have the joint-most service games won, while the Italian’s hammer-like forehand can hit holes through anyone. But while Becker faced the South African Kevin Curren, who had taken out John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, in the 1985 final, Berrettini has Djokovic, who is chasing history and at the peak of his powers. The Serb is a big favourite but, on what could be a huge day for Italian sport, Berrettini believes – which is half the battle. “I took every step really careful and slowly,” he said. “I guess it was the right thing to do. Obviously the job is not done yet. I want to get the trophy now that I’m here. But it’s a really unbelievable feeling.”