Sinner mauls Djokovic to reach first Wimbledon final
The 23-year-old will be desperate to avenge his painful French Open defeat against world number two Alcaraz after squandering three championship points in last month's epic Roland Garros final. Sinner and Alcaraz are the undisputed new kings of men's tennis, claiming the past six majors between them.
Defeat on a baking Centre Court means seven-time champion Djokovic, who was apparently not 100% fit, must wait for another shot at a record 25th Grand Slam title. It is the first time he has failed to reach the Wimbledon final since 2017 and he has come up short in his bid to equal Roger Federer's men's record of eight Wimbledon titles.
"It's a tournament I always watched when I was young on the television and I would have never imagined that I can play here, you know in the finals, so it was amazing," said Sinner. "From my side, I served very well today, I felt great on court, I was moving really well today."
"We saw in the third set that he was a bit injured," Sinner added. He's been in a very difficult situation but I tried to stay calm, to play the best tennis I can."
Italy's Sinner was still wearing a white protective sleeve after injuring his elbow in a nasty fall against Grigor Dimitrov in his fourth-round match. Djokovic also came into the contest, watched by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, with questions over his fitness after tumbling to the turf late in his quarter-final victory against Flavio Cobolli.
Top seed Sinner broke Djokovic in the third game, unleashing a barrage of relentlessly accurate groundstrokes to wear the sixth seed down. The Serb, 38, wilted under the onslaught in the ninth game as Sinner converted his third set point. Sinner did not let up at the start of the second set, breaking for a 2-0 lead to tighten his grip on the match.
Djokovic struggles
Djokovic was struggling to gain a foothold but held for 3-1 to roars from the crowd, desperate to witness a classic battle. Chants of "Nole" rang around the stadium as fans tried to lift Djokovic but he was powerless to prevent Sinner opening up a 5-2 lead. He saved a set point on his own serve but that merely delayed the inevitable as Sinner wrapped up the set with only 69 minutes on the clock.
Djokovic received treatment from the trainer between sets on the upper part of his left leg, apparently on the area he hurt in the match against Cobolli. He broke for the first time in the match as he suddenly found a new gear, but was pegged back to 3-2 and roared in frustration at the changeover.
Struggling physically, Djokovic was broken again as Sinner sealed victory with his fourth match point. Sinner, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, returned from a doping ban in May, losing the Italian Open final to Alcaraz before his collapse in the Roland Garros showpiece. Now he has a chance for revenge against the man who has won the past two Wimbledon titles and is the current top dog on grass.
"It is a huge honor for me to share the court once again with Carlos," he said. "We try to push ourselves to the limit, he is for sure one of the players I look up to. "I love watching him, I think you all guys agree on that, what kind of talent he is but hopefully it's going to be a good match like the last one."
Sinner trails 8-4 in their head-to-head meetings, losing the past five matches. The Italian can take heart from beating Alcaraz in the Wimbledon fourth round in 2022, his rival's last defeat at the All England Club.
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LeMonde
11 hours ago
- LeMonde
Sinner mauls Djokovic to reach first Wimbledon final
Jannik Sinner crushed Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semi-finals to set up the latest installment of his gripping rivalry with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's final. The world number one is through to his fourth successive Grand Slam title match – and his first at the All England Club – after a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 demolition on Centre Court on Friday, July 11. The 23-year-old will be desperate to avenge his painful French Open defeat against world number two Alcaraz after squandering three championship points in last month's epic Roland Garros final. Sinner and Alcaraz are the undisputed new kings of men's tennis, claiming the past six majors between them. Defeat on a baking Centre Court means seven-time champion Djokovic, who was apparently not 100% fit, must wait for another shot at a record 25th Grand Slam title. It is the first time he has failed to reach the Wimbledon final since 2017 and he has come up short in his bid to equal Roger Federer's men's record of eight Wimbledon titles. "It's a tournament I always watched when I was young on the television and I would have never imagined that I can play here, you know in the finals, so it was amazing," said Sinner. "From my side, I served very well today, I felt great on court, I was moving really well today." "We saw in the third set that he was a bit injured," Sinner added. He's been in a very difficult situation but I tried to stay calm, to play the best tennis I can." Italy's Sinner was still wearing a white protective sleeve after injuring his elbow in a nasty fall against Grigor Dimitrov in his fourth-round match. Djokovic also came into the contest, watched by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, with questions over his fitness after tumbling to the turf late in his quarter-final victory against Flavio Cobolli. Top seed Sinner broke Djokovic in the third game, unleashing a barrage of relentlessly accurate groundstrokes to wear the sixth seed down. The Serb, 38, wilted under the onslaught in the ninth game as Sinner converted his third set point. Sinner did not let up at the start of the second set, breaking for a 2-0 lead to tighten his grip on the match. Djokovic struggles Djokovic was struggling to gain a foothold but held for 3-1 to roars from the crowd, desperate to witness a classic battle. Chants of "Nole" rang around the stadium as fans tried to lift Djokovic but he was powerless to prevent Sinner opening up a 5-2 lead. He saved a set point on his own serve but that merely delayed the inevitable as Sinner wrapped up the set with only 69 minutes on the clock. Djokovic received treatment from the trainer between sets on the upper part of his left leg, apparently on the area he hurt in the match against Cobolli. He broke for the first time in the match as he suddenly found a new gear, but was pegged back to 3-2 and roared in frustration at the changeover. Struggling physically, Djokovic was broken again as Sinner sealed victory with his fourth match point. Sinner, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, returned from a doping ban in May, losing the Italian Open final to Alcaraz before his collapse in the Roland Garros showpiece. Now he has a chance for revenge against the man who has won the past two Wimbledon titles and is the current top dog on grass. "It is a huge honor for me to share the court once again with Carlos," he said. "We try to push ourselves to the limit, he is for sure one of the players I look up to. "I love watching him, I think you all guys agree on that, what kind of talent he is but hopefully it's going to be a good match like the last one." Sinner trails 8-4 in their head-to-head meetings, losing the past five matches. The Italian can take heart from beating Alcaraz in the Wimbledon fourth round in 2022, his rival's last defeat at the All England Club.
France 24
13 hours ago
- France 24
Sinner unfazed by French Open collapse as he prepares for Alcaraz rematch
The world number one crushed seven-time champion Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in under two hours on Friday to set up a title showdown against the Spanish two-time defending champion. Alcaraz had earlier dispatched US fifth seed Taylor Swift in four sets on Centre Court. Just weeks ago at Roland Garros, Alcaraz came back from two sets down against Sinner, saving three match points to win a fifth Grand Slam. But Italy's Sinner, 23, played down the lingering impact of that loss in the aftermath of Friday's semi-final win against Djokovic. "I think if it would be a lot in my head, I would not be in the situation to play a final again, I guess," he said. "I'm very happy to share once again the court with Carlos. It's going to be difficult, I know that. "But I'm looking forward to it. I try always to put myself in these kind of situations that I really love. Sundays at every tournament are very special." The top seed said he would not be able to fully assess the lasting impact of his loss at Roland Garros until he stepped onto the court for his first Wimbledon final. "I think it's something what you feel before the match and also during the match," he said. "I can give you answers after. "But no, it's different. Different match. I'm looking forward to it." Sinner, who has won three majors, said Alcaraz was the favourite to win a third straight title at the All England Club. Alcaraz on top The Spaniard has the edge, winning eight of their 12 matches, including the past five. "He won here two times in a row," said Sinner. "He's again in the final. It's very tough to beat him on grass, but I like these challenges. "I like to go head-to-head and trying to see what I can do and what I can reach." Sinner, who has shared the past six Grand Slam titles with Alcaraz, said it was too soon to compare their dominance with the era of the "Big Three" -- Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. "You cannot compare what the big three did for 15-plus years. Six Grand Slams are one-and-a-half years. It's not that big yet. "Of course, we find ourself, again, in this position. This is the second consecutive Grand Slam that we are in the final and playing each other, which is great from my side. "I believe it's good for the sport. The more rivalries we have from now on, the better it is, because people want to see young players going against each other. "I'm happy to be in that position, but let's see in the future. If we can make that happen for the next three, four years, then people can think about. Let's see." © 2025 AFP
France 24
14 hours ago
- France 24
Paris glory means nothing to Alcaraz ahead of Sinner rematch in Wimbledon final
Just 35 days after Alcaraz saved three championship points and came from two sets down to beat Sinner in the longest final in French Open history, the Spaniard will once again lock horns with the world number one. Alcaraz, the two-time defending Wimbledon champion, battled into his third successive All England Club showpiece with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) win over American fifth seed Taylor Fritz. Sinner responded only hours later with a statement of intent, the Italian top seed crushing seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in a masterful display. Sunday's eagerly anticipated showdown will be the 13th meeting between Alcaraz and Sinner, with the Spaniard holding an 8-4 edge after winning the past five. Sinner, a three-time Grand Slam winner, is adamant his collapse on clay at Roland Garros no longer preys on his mind, and Alcaraz is convinced his rival will not wilt in their rematch. "Not at all, to be honest. What Jannik has, because he learned from everything as a huge champion, from the losses, from the matches he's playing, he just get better after every match," Alcaraz said. "I'm pretty sure he's going to take a lot of things from the French Open final. He's being to be better physically, he's going to be better mentally. He's going to be prepared to give 100 percent. "I'm not thinking I have the advantage mentally on Sunday because of that match." Since beating Sinner to secure his fifth Grand Slam crown, Alcaraz has tried not to wallow in his remarkable triumph. - 'The best match' - The 22-year-old has barely watched the match since, focusing instead on his grass-court campaign, but he did acknowledge it was the highlight of his career to date. "I didn't watch it again. Just a few clips, to be honest, few points, but not that much," he said. "I'm still thinking about that moment sometimes. It was the best match that I have ever played so far." Sinner's superb performance against Djokovic, who was struggling with fitness issues, took him to a fourth successive Grand Slam final. Alcaraz is ready for another bruising encounter, even if he would prefer not to be on court for five-and-a-half hours again in a repeat of the French Open slugfest. "I'm not surprised he pushed me to the limit. I expect that on Sunday," he said. "The level that Jannik's playing, it's really high, as always. I think he doesn't get down in the matches. It's unbelievable what he can do on a tennis court. "I just hope not to be five hours and a half on court again. As I said, if I have to, I will. But I think it's going to be great." Alcaraz, on a career-best 24-match winning streak, is well aware that Sinner is the last man to beat him at Wimbledon in 2022. Since then, the Spaniard has won 20 successive All England Club matches. "I'm not going to watch the match in 2022 because we are just completely different players," he said. After the golden era of Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the transition to a new era of dominance for Alcaraz and Sinner is well under way. "The things we are doing right now I think is great for tennis. We just fight to engage more people to watch tennis," Alcaraz said. "For me, it's sharing the big tournaments with Jannik, playing in the finals. © 2025 AFP
