Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner are safely through to the Wimbledon semifinals, where they’ll face off in a mouthwatering clash.
Easing into the last four, Sinner defeated Ben Shelton in straight sets 7-6, 6-4, 6-4, bouncing back from a poor fourth-round performance.
Shortly after, Djokovic beat Flavio Cobolli 6-7, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4, in a match that will likely be best remembered for what happened during the closing stages.
Seconds away from victory, Djokovic fell awkwardly, prompting many to question whether he will be fully fit for his semifinal match.
Similar questions have been asked of Sinner, whose elbow continued to trouble him at points against Shelton.
Neither player appears to be 100% heading into the semis, but former British number one Tim Henman believes there is a clear favorite.
Tim Henman says Jannik Sinner is the favorite for his Wimbledon semifinal vs Novak Djokovic
Talking to the BBC after Djokovic’s quarterfinal win, Henman named his favorite for the semifinal.
“I think [Jannik] Sinner goes into that match as the favourite,” he said.
“There were a few people concerned over how Sinner would pull up today. He had been struggling with his elbow against [Girigor] Dimitrov, who had to pull out with that awful pectoral issue.
“But I think what happens with these great players in the biggest moments is that they are able to raise their level.
“I think Sinner has looked very comfortable apart from that match against Dimitrov.”
Barring a major blip against the Bulgarian, Sinner has looked in fine form this tournament and hasn’t dropped a set against anyone else.
- 2025 Wimbledon 1R – Jannik Sinner beat Luca Nardi (0 sets dropped, 7 games dropped)
- 2025 Wimbledon 2R – Jannik Sinner beat Aleksandar Vukic (0 sets dropped, 5 games dropped)
- 2025 Wimbledon 3R – Jannik Sinner beat Pedro Martinez (0 sets dropped, 5 games dropped)
- 2025 Wimbledon 4R – Jannik Sinner beat Grigor Dimitrov (2 sets dropped, 15 games dropped)
- 2025 Wimbledon QF – Jannik Sinner beat Ben Shelton (0 sets dropped, 14 games dropped)
Henman continued on to share what he believes will be the deciding factor in their semifinal match.
“[Novak] Djokovic has been getting the job done. They know each other’s games so well. Djokovic has the history on grass,” he said.
“Sinner is back in the semifinals and has never gone further at Wimbledon.
“So it’s going to boil down to those details of who can hit the spots, who can get on top in the rallies, who can be dictating, and when they get the chances, who can get those breaks.”
The Brit proceeded to rate Djokovic’s performance against Cobolli, having seen the Serb drop the opening set to the world number 24.
“You only have to be better than one player on any given day, and Djokovic was a little bit better than [Flavio] Cobolli today,” said Henman.
“But I think when you analyse the performance, Djokovic will know as well as anyone he is going to have to raise his levels.
“When he analyses that performance, it was probably a 6.5 or 7 out of 10.
“When you go into a big semifinal, which Djokovic has played on so many occasions, he is the type of player who really can turn it up, and I think he needs to if he’s going to come out on top against Sinner.”
It’s tough to predict who will emerge victorious in the semifinals, but who has had the better of their previous encounters?
Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic’s head-to-head record
Sinner and Djokovic have played one another nine times previously, with the Italian leading the head-to-head 5-4.
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2025 French Open – SF | Jannik Sinner | Novak Djokovic | 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 |
| 2024 Shanghai Masters – F | Jannik Sinner | Novak Djokovic | 7-6, 6-3 |
| 2024 Australian Open – SF | Jannik Sinner | Novak Djokovic | 6-1, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 |
| 2023 Davis Cup – SF | Jannik Sinner | Novak Djokovic | 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 |
| 2023 ATP Finals – F | Novak Djokovic | Jannik Sinner | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 2023 ATP Finals – RR | Jannik Sinner | Novak Djokovic | 7-5, 6-7, 7-6 |
| 2023 Wimbledon – SF | Novak Djokovic | Jannik Sinner | 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 |
| 2022 Wimbledon – QF | Novak Djokovic | Jannik Sinner | 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 |
| 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters – 2R | Novak Djokovic | Jannik Sinner | 6-4, 6-2 |
Winning their last four matches, it certainly seems as though Sinner has the momentum, although their previous Wimbledon clashes tell another story.
Playing in the 2022 quarterfinals and the 2023 semifinals, Djokovic beat Sinner on both occasions, as the world number one is yet to record a victory over the Serb on grass.
Only time will tell if he can do so for the first time in 2025, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
Sinner and Djokovic will battle it out for a place in the Wimbledon final on Friday, July 11.
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