When the Wimbledon draw was made, Jannik Sinner anticipated that his journey to a first title could involve facing seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. The two tennis stars are set to meet on Centre Court for their second Grand Slam encounter in two months. Their match is scheduled as the second of the day at 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. EDT.
Sinner, currently ranked No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, recently defeated Djokovic in straight sets during the Roland Garros semi-finals. However, Djokovic, now 38 years old and seeking an eighth Wimbledon title, will be eager for revenge.
Despite concerns following a fall in his fourth-round match against Grigor Dimitrov, Sinner showed no signs of injury during his quarter-final win over Ben Shelton. He explained his mindset before the match: “Yesterday I played 20 minutes without serving and not hitting 100 per cent,” adding that he felt confident after warming up.
While Sinner has been successful at other major tournaments, he has yet to win at Wimbledon. Meanwhile, Djokovic boasts a remarkable record at the event with seven titles and a 102-12 win-loss record.
Sinner leads their recent encounters with four consecutive wins and holds a narrow edge of 5-4 in their head-to-head series. However, Djokovic has triumphed in both of their previous Wimbledon meetings.
Djokovic’s strategy shifted during their Roland Garros clash as he used drop shots more frequently than usual, signaling potential uncertainty about his typical baseline approach.
Reflecting on their upcoming match, Djokovic stated: “That motivates me to see how much I can still keep going with these guys toe to toe.” He acknowledged Sinner’s strong performance at Roland Garros and expressed anticipation for another challenge.
Djokovic experienced a fall during his quarter-final against Flavio Cobolli but has shown effective net play throughout this tournament. His ability to pressure opponents like Alex de Minaur and Cobolli has contributed significantly to his success so far.
As they prepare for their tenth meeting, both players have much at stake. For Sinner, reaching his first Wimbledon final would also impact his standing in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Meanwhile, Djokovic aims for another milestone victory that would bring him closer to Roger Federer’s record eight titles at Wimbledon.