Novak Djokovic Meets Jannik Sinner in the 2026 Wimbledon Semifinal
JAKARTA - Novak Djokovic managed to ensure his journey continued to the semifinals of the 2026 Wimbledon Grand Slam. He will also face a tough test against world number one Jannik Sinner from Italy, in that phase.
The Serbian tennis player defended his chances in this grass court tournament after going through a gruelling duel against Felix Auger-Aliassime which lasted for five hours and 15 minutes with the final result of 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), and 7-6 (10-4) on Tuesday, July 7, 2926, British time.
The duration of this clash is the longest in the history of the Wimbledon quarter finals. The victory brought Djokovic to a record of qualifying for the Wimbledon semifinals for the 15th time and reopened the heated duel against world number one Jannik Sinner.
"This is one of the best matches I've ever played on this court," said Djokovic, who had held the status of world number one after the match, quoted from the ATP official website.
The match between the two tennis players really tested their physical and mental endurance. Djokovic even asked for medical treatment because he had a problem with his leg since the first set.
The situation got more complicated when he lost the break advantage in the fourth set so that the match had to be decided in the fifth set. However, Djokovic was able to find a way out at a time when the pressure reached its highest point, as has happened many times in the course of his career.
The 39-year-old held off Auger-Aliassime's powerful serves and aggressive strokes before sealing the victory just six minutes before Wimbledon's 11pm curfew.
"Moments like this are the reason I still play tennis. I've asked the kids to sleep after the fourth set, but they don't want to. Now I'm glad they stayed to watch it," said Djokovic.
The meeting with Sinner was a repeat of last year's semi-final. At that time, the Italian stopped Djokovic's ambition to win the 25th Grand Slam title and the eighth Wimbledon trophy through a straight three-set victory before finally becoming the champion.
Now Djokovic has a chance to avenge the defeat. He has a good record at the start of the year, having eliminated Sinner in a five-set battle in the Australian Open semifinals.
The meeting at Wimbledon will be their 12th duel, with Sinner still leading 6-5 in the record of meetings.
This success in reaching the semifinals extends Djokovic's incredible consistency at Wimbledon. He has always reached the semifinals in his last eight appearances at the All England Club and has never been eliminated before the last four since 2017.
The journey to this year's semifinals has never been easy. Djokovic has lost five sets in five matches.
Facing Sinner, the challenge is sure to be heavier because the Italian has not lost a set since qualifying for the five-set battle against Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round.
In addition, the victory over Auger-Aliassime also added Djokovic's collection to 107 victories at Wimbledon. The record confirmed his position as the record holder for the most wins in the men's singles sector, surpassing Roger Federer's 105 wins.