Novak Djokovic was handed a heavy defeat by eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals.
Though the scoreline would suggest each set was fairly tight, Sinner dominated Djokovic on Centre Court, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
The Italian, now a five-time Grand Slam champion, faced just one break point against the Serb, which he saved.
Who has more Wimbledon titles by 2036 between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz?
They have 2 each right now…
Sinner fired 16 aces and tallied a first-serve win percentage of 88% to earn revenge after losing to the 39-year-old at the Australian Open earlier in the year.
Their clash in SW19 followed Djokovic’s marathon quarterfinal with Felix Auger-Aliassime, the longest last-eight matchup in Wimbledon history, lasting five hours and 15 minutes.
A week after his exit from the tournament, Djokovic cited the gruelling test against Auger-Aliassime when explaining where things went wrong for him.
Novak Djokovic speaks a week after his Wimbledon exit
Asked on CBS Mornings if he thinks about his age in the twilight of his career, Djokovic replied: “If I’m not thinking about it, then people remind me. If people don’t remind me of my age, then my body reminds me of my age.
“And you’re just trying to take every percentage of extra edge that I can get to be able to still compete at an elite level with young guys, right?
“But, you know, the body is responding differently, and that’s just biology, you know, the wear and tear of the 20-plus years on the highest level, it’s just taking its toll.
“So it takes more time for me to recover. So after that five-hour, 15-minute quarterfinal, you know, I just couldn’t fully recover for the semis.
Where does that match rank among the best of Novak Djokovic’s career?
It was the longest Wimbledon quarterfinal in history…
“And I wasn’t as fresh as I wanted to be, but not to take anything away from Sinner, who won and won the tournament. But it’s different nowadays.”
Novak Djokovic looks ahead to the 2026 US Open
Djokovic will now set his sights on the US Open, where he will continue his quest for a 25th major title.
Speaking about the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, Djokovic said: “The US Open is one of the four slams. It’s the most, I think, entertaining, most exciting Grand Slam, with the biggest stadium in our sport, Arthur Ashe.
“I can’t wait. One of the biggest reasons why I still compete is the energy of the crowd and the appreciation and respect that I’ve been getting, particularly in the last several years around the world, which I cannot thank people enough for. It matters a lot to me.
Asked if he has anything left to prove, Djokovic said: “Yeah, I do. I mean, there’s always something to prove to myself primarily and to others, but to myself that I can always be better than I was yesterday.”
Djokovic is a four-time champion at the US Open, and won his most recent major title there in 2023.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
