Djokovic vs. Sinner Headlines Wimbledon’s Semifinal Showdown/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Novak Djokovic advances to his 52nd Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon. He faces No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner, who has won their last four matchups. Djokovic remains driven to challenge tennis’ young stars despite his age.
Quick Look: Djokovic’s Wimbledon Semifinal Quest
- Semifinal Opponent: No. 1 Jannik Sinner
- Head-to-Head: Djokovic trails Sinner 1-4 in recent meetings
- Historic Stakes: Djokovic aims for record 25th Grand Slam title
Novak Djokovic Eager to Challenge Jannik Sinner and Tennis’ New Generation at Wimbledon
Deep Look
LONDON (AP) — At 38, Novak Djokovic remains undeterred by age or the young challengers vying for his throne at Wimbledon.
“It means the world to me that I’m still able to play the final stages of Wimbledon,” Djokovic told an appreciative Centre Court crowd, which responded with cheers and applause. Grinning, he quipped, “Thank you for cheering for my age. I really appreciate it. That’s beautiful. Makes me feel very young.”
Yet Djokovic knows well that youth is knocking loudly at the door. Fresh off his quarterfinal victory over 23-year-old Flavio Cobolli, Djokovic now faces another 23-year-old in top-ranked Jannik Sinner on Friday, seeking a spot in his record-extending 25th Grand Slam final.
“That motivates me — to see how much I can still keep going with these guys, toe-to-toe,” said Djokovic, seeded sixth.
Despite his legendary career, Djokovic enters this semifinal having lost his last four matches against Sinner, including their clash in the French Open semis last month.
Meanwhile, the other semifinal pits 22-year-old No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz against No. 5 Taylor Fritz, 27. Alcaraz and Sinner, whom Djokovic hailed as “the leaders of men’s tennis today,” have split the last six Grand Slam titles.
Djokovic’s accolades remain staggering: seven Wimbledon titles (one short of Federer’s men’s record), 100 career titles, and the most weeks ever spent as world No. 1.
“He’s a legend of our sport,” said Cobolli after losing 6-7 (6), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 to Djokovic in the quarterfinals.
Sinner, whose playing style is often compared to Djokovic’s due to his exceptional returns, speed, and precise groundstrokes, acknowledges the challenge.
“Me and Novak, we know each other well because we’ve played quite a lot. But I’ve never won against him here at Wimbledon, so it’s going to be a very, very tough challenge,” said Sinner, who defeated Ben Shelton in straight sets to reach the semis.
Both players carry minor injury concerns: Djokovic took a fall in his last match, and Sinner tweaked his right elbow earlier in the tournament.
In the other semi, Alcaraz seeks his sixth Grand Slam title, while Fritz hopes for his first. Though Alcaraz holds a 2-0 record over the American, Fritz believes grass courts could be the great equalizer.
“I’m happy that we’re not playing at the French Open, on clay, with the French Open balls, because that would be an absolute nightmare,” Fritz said. “Grass is very much so an equalizer.”
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