LONDON — After coming through two grueling five-setters to reach the Wimbledon final, Kevin Anderson finally ran out of steam.

It wasn’t just the South African’s body that let him down, though, two days after a 6½-hour semifinal against John Isner that ended 26-24 in the final set. Anderson felt his straight-set loss to Novak Djokovic had more to do with nerves.

“Of course, my body didn’t feel great,” Anderson said. “But I was definitely quite nervous starting out the match. Didn’t play great tennis in the beginning.”

Anderson, whose game is built around his powerful serve, was broken in the opening game and continued making uncharacteristic errors for the first two sets.

By the time he was finally feeling comfortable on Centre Court it was too late. Djokovic won 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (3) after saving five set points in the third set, making sure there was no comeback from Anderson this time.

The South African had come from two sets down to beat Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, saving a match point in the third before winning 13-11 in the fifth. That matchup was downright short in comparison to his marathon against Isner, when he was down 2-1 in sets before winning the second-longest match in Wimbledon history.

“I barely slept on Friday night,” he said. “Waking up today, I actually felt OK, insomuch that, I don’t think the match was entirely just because I wasn’t feeling the freshest. It was a bit more of being able to play the kind of tennis I needed to at this stage. ... I think all in all, my body actually handled it pretty well.”

Anderson had looked unshakeable mentally in those two long fifth sets, when he never faltered. But he said nerves hampered him early on against Federer as well, and that it’s a part of his game he needs to develop in order to earn a maiden Grand Slam title. Anderson also lost the U.S. Open final last year to Rafael Nadal.

Women’s Final

Angelique Kerber was not about to be overwhelmed by the setting or the stakes in this Wimbledon final. She knew exactly what to expect — and what to do — against Serena Williams.

Two years after losing to Williams with a title on the line at Centre Court , Kerber came through. So steady, so patient, so accurate throughout, she never really gave Williams much of a chance this time, putting together a 6-3, 6-3 victory Saturday for her first championship at the All England Club and third major overall.

“I think it’s the experience. You have to go through all the things — the good things, the bad things — and then you need to learn,” said Kerber, the first German to win Wimbledon since Steffi Graf in 1996.

“I know that against Serena, I have to play my best tennis, especially in the important moments,” said Kerber, who won the Australian Open and U.S. Open in 2016,

That’s just what she did.

“Angelique played really well,” Williams said. “She played out of her mind.”