Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic beats Jannik Sinner

WIMBLEDON, England –

This was the time. If Novak Djokovic were to be stopped in the Wimbledon semi-finals, if his much younger and tougher opponent, Jannik Sinner, turned things around on Friday, then the required monumental comeback should begin immediately.

Djokovic knew. Sinner knew. The Center Court’s 15,000 or so spectators knew it.

After taking the first two sets, Djokovic trailed 5-4 in the third, and a failed forehand made the game score 15-40 as he served. Two chances for Sinner to finally break. Two chances for him to actually take a set. Djokovic hit a foul, which sounded approving in the stands. Djokovic sarcastically used his racket and ball to applaud the noisemakers, then gave a thumbs up.

He can sustain such bravado. Djokovic simply hasn’t been losing at the All England Club lately. Or at any Grand Slam tournament. So he calmly collected the next four points to claim that game, looked at the crowd and mockingly pretended to wipe away a tear. Twenty minutes later, the match was over, and the 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) win over Sinner enabled Djokovic to close a record eighth title at Wimbledon and fifth in a row.

“The third set could have gone his way,” said Djokovic, who will face No. 1 ranked Carlos Alcaraz for the trophy on Sunday. “It was really, really, just a lot of pressure.”

Alcaraz showed off all his many talents, including winning 17 of 20 points as he served and volleyed as he beat No. 3 Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 on Friday to make his way to his first final on the big grass court tournament.

While Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, is chasing a 24th Grand Slam title, Alcaraz, a 20-year-old from Spain, is aiming for his second after winning the US Open last September.

“What can I say? Everyone knows the legend that he is,” Alcaraz said of Djokovic. “It’s going to be very, very hard. But I will fight. … I will believe in myself, I will believe I can beat him here.”

No one has been able to beat Djokovic at Wimbledon since 2017. And since 2013, no one has managed to beat him on Center Court.

Against Sinner, Djokovic repeatedly served himself out of potential trouble, saving all six break points he faced to reach his ninth final at the All England Club. It is also his 35th final at all Grand Slam tournaments, more than any man or woman in tennis history.

As good as he is as a returner, as great as his defense is — over and over he sprinted and leaned and stretched to get to a ball that extended a point until Sinner fouled — Djokovic possesses a serve that may be the part of his game that he has improved the most during his career.

It turned out on Friday, and it showed during these two weeks: in his six games during the tournament, Djokovic won 100 of his 103 service games and saved 16 of 19 break points.

“He played very well in the pressure moments. Don’t miss it,” said Sinner. “That is him.”

The age difference between Djokovic and Sinner, 21, was the largest among men’s Wimbledon semifinalists in the Open era, which began in 1968. Djokovic would be the oldest champion at Wimbledon since professionals were first allowed to compete that year.

“I think 36 is the new 26, I think,” Djokovic said. “It feels good.”

Sinner is the one serving at 130 mph, hitting one foul that clattered into the speed sign in a corner of the arena with such force it sounded like he could have broken the thing. Of more concern to Sinner: it was followed by another error in a service game that he dropped to 2-1 in the second set.

In truth, talented as Sinner is, he didn’t really cause more frustration for Djokovic than chair umpire Richard Haigh did.

In a match where Djokovic would face – and erase – a break point, he argued in vain after forfeiting a point because Haigh called him out for interference for letting out a long shout while the ball was still in play. Moments later, Haigh issued a warning to Djokovic for letting the serve clock expire.

“It was a very stressful game for me to survive and kind of storm through it. It was super important,” said Djokovic, who thought the hurdle wasn’t correct after seeing a replay and Haigh had to “take the moment a recognize a little more.” instead of giving the time warning. “Luckily for me, I stayed calm.”

Indeed he did, continuing his bid to join Roger Federer as the only men to win eight singles trophies at Wimbledon. Martina Navratilova won the women’s championship nine times.

Djokovic took a major title No. 22 at the Australian Open in January and No. 23 at the French Open in June — his Wimbledon boots have a small “23” stamped on the side — after he passed Alcaraz in the semifinals. final at Roland Garros.

If Djokovic wins on Sunday, he will advance to the US Open in August with a shot at the first Grand Slam of a calendar year by a man since Rod Laver in 1969.

With the retractable roof of the main stadium closed due to the rain outside, the grass was slippery and slippery during Djokovic vs. Sinner. Sinner slipped on the very first run; Djokovic in third. And it kept happening to both. They repeatedly hit the soles of their shoes with their racquets to remove grass and dirt that got stuck in them.

Going up against Djokovic marked a significant rise in the level of competition for Sinner. Until Friday, not only had he not faced a single seeded player, but he had also competed against opponents with these rankings: 79th, 85th, 98th and 111th.

No one in the half-century history of computerized tennis rankings – men’s and women’s – has spent more weeks at No. 1 than Djokovic, who is currently No. 2. But that number doesn’t reflect his form right now.

This was Djokovic’s 46th major semifinal and Sinner’s first, and it seemed clear at the most crucial moments.

Sinner was pretty close to reaching that stage a year ago at the All England Club, taking a two-set lead in the quarter-finals against Djokovic, coming all the way back to win in five sets.

That kind of work was not necessary this afternoon. Djokovic never let it get to that point.