Sinner beats Djokovic in straight sets to reach Wimbledon final
Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 and will face Alexander Zverev for the Wimbledon title.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Jannik Sinner moved one win from retaining his Wimbledon title by beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets in Friday’s semifinal, AFP reported. The 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 result on Centre Court sent the world No. 1 into a final against Alexander Zverev and halted Djokovic’s latest attempt to win a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.
AFP reported that Sinner, 24, controlled the match against the 39-year-old Serb, finishing with 40 winners and facing only one break point. The Italian completed the victory in two hours and 20 minutes.
Sinner has not lost a set at Wimbledon since his opening-round match against Miomir Kecmanovic, when he needed a deciding set after arriving without a grass-court warm-up event for the first time, according to AFP. He will be playing in his seventh major final when he faces Zverev, the French Open champion and world No. 3.
AFP reported that Sinner will be favored against Zverev after winning their past nine meetings. A victory would give Sinner his fifth Grand Slam title and move him within two of Carlos Alcaraz, who is sidelined with a wrist injury.
Zverev reached the final after beating British player Arthur Fery in the other semifinal, AFP reported. Sinner’s match against Djokovic began with many Centre Court spectators still returning to their seats after Fery’s defeat.
Djokovic entered the semifinal still chasing a milestone that has stayed out of reach since his 2023 US Open title. AFP reported that he remains tied with Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam singles trophies and will be 40 before his next chance to match Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles.
The semifinal followed a demanding week for Djokovic. According to AFP, he had kept his Wimbledon run alive with a five-and-a-quarter-hour quarterfinal win over Felix Auger-Aliassime, the longest quarterfinal in tournament history.
That effort did not leave Djokovic with enough to press Sinner for long, AFP reported. Since winning the 2023 US Open, Djokovic has lost six major semifinals, including four against Sinner.
Djokovic had beaten Sinner in the Australian Open semifinals earlier this year, AFP reported, before losing that final to Alcaraz. Sinner’s Wimbledon run also marked a response to his French Open exit, where he lost in the second round to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo in what AFP described as only his third defeat of the year.
The match turned late in the opening set when Sinner broke Djokovic in the ninth game, then served out the set, AFP reported. Djokovic saved two break points in the fifth game of the second set, but Sinner broke again for 4-3 and followed with two love holds to move within a set of the final.
Sinner broke at the start of the third set and stayed in front from there, according to AFP. Djokovic created one break chance in the match, but Sinner saved it and closed out another efficient win on grass.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.