Djokovic Meets Sinner in Semi’s After Five-Hour Wimbledon Epic

Novak Djokovic is back in the Wimbledon final four — and this time it took a five-hour war of attrition to get him there. The seven-time champion outlasted third seed Félix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(4) in the longest quarterfinal in Wimbledon history, setting up a blockbuster rematch with defending champion Jannik Sinner.

Why Djokovic Meets Sinner in Semi’s for the Third Time in Four Years

Friday’s Centre Court showdown will mark the third Wimbledon semifinal meeting between the two rivals in four years, and the second year running. The head-to-head at this stage of the tournament is split evenly — one win apiece — while Sinner holds the overall career edge at 6-5. Their most recent meeting went Djokovic’s way, a five-set win in the Australian Open semifinals earlier this year that snapped a five-match losing streak against the World No. 1.

Sinner reached this year’s semifinal with far less drama, cruising past Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets and having not dropped a set since a five-set opening-round battle with Miomir Kecmanovic. He arrives as the tournament favorite after Carlos Alcaraz withdrew earlier in the fortnight with a wrist injury, and he’s chasing revenge-turned-redemption after beating Djokovic in straight sets in last year’s semifinal on the way to the title.

Djokovic’s path was anything but smooth. Facing Auger-Aliassime, he needed a medical timeout for a calf issue in the first set, dropped two sets across the match, and ultimately needed a 10-point super tiebreak in the fifth to close it out — finishing just six minutes before the All England Club’s 11 p.m. curfew. It was the 50th five-setter of his major-tournament career, breaking a tie with Stan Wawrinka for the most in the Open era, and the joint-longest match of his career alongside his 2018 semifinal against Rafael Nadal.

What’s at Stake When Djokovic Meets Sinner in Semi’s on Friday

The numbers around this matchup are staggering. Djokovic, 39, has now reached a record-extending 15th Wimbledon semifinal and an eighth consecutive one, moving him one ahead of Roger Federer for the most consecutive men’s singles semifinal appearances at the tournament. He’s also just the second man in the Open Era aged 39 or older to reach a Wimbledon semifinal, alongside Ken Rosewall, and his win over Auger-Aliassime pushed his all-time match-win total at the Championships past Federer’s previous record.

A win on Friday would put Djokovic two matches from a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title and his eighth Wimbledon crown, tying him with Federer for the most in the Open era at the All England Club. It’s a tall order against a Sinner squad that hasn’t lost a set in the second week, but Djokovic has already shown this fortnight — and earlier this year in Melbourne — that he has an answer when it matters most against the World No. 1.

“I wish it was finals, so I don’t need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow,” Djokovic joked after his quarterfinal win, before adding that grinding through matches like Tuesday’s is exactly why he still plays.

When and Where to Watch

The Djokovic-Sinner semifinal is scheduled for Friday, July 10, on Centre Court, with the exact start time confirmed the day prior. The winner advances to Sunday’s final to face the victor of the tournament’s other men’s semifinal, which will be set once the bottom half of the draw — including Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Flavio Cobolli, and British wildcard Arthur Fery — finishes its quarterfinal round.