On Friday afternoon Novak Djokovic wrapped up his 102nd win at Wimbledon. He not only beat Jannik Sinner from Italy in the semifinals, but also erased the conventional notion of age. Sinner is 14 years and 76 days younger, which did not prevent Djokovic, 36, from saying goodbye to the opponent in three sets 6: 3, 6: 4 and 7: 6 (4) from the tournament. “I don’t see age as a barrier. 36 is the new 26,” he said afterwards, to the great amusement of the audience. And while praising Sinner as one of the best young professionals in the world, as one of the leaders of the tennis avant-garde, he added, smiling slyly: “I think it’s wonderful to be part of this new generation.”
At the teenage age of 36, Djokovic has put himself in an excellent position to capture another Championship Trophy from Wimbledon on Sunday. It would be his eighth. He would draw level with Roger Federer, the Swiss retiree. So far he is second in this ranking, shared with fellow 19th-century sportsman William Renshaw (1881-1886, 1889) and late 20th-century sportsman Pete Sampras (1993-1995, 1997-2000). Splits. As for the total of trophies from all four Grand Slam competitions, namely 23, he overtook all men who ever picked up a racket, whether wooden or high-tech, at the French Open a month ago.
However, Djokovic was the first to admit that the bare result of the semifinals can hide the intensity of the encounter. Sinner, the highly talented South Tyrolean, scored more points on the net, hit more winners and made only slightly more mistakes than the Serbian maestro – but always at the wrong time.
Djokovic makes the important points, says Sinner – not himself
He earned a total of six breakballs, two of them immediately in the first game, two in the third round, which would have given him the set win; he messed them all up. It was Djokovic’s handling of the moments of greatest need that decided the course of the match, Sinner concluded: Overall, however, his own performance was better than in the previous year in the same place when he was still in a two-set lead Five-set defeat had to add.
Open detailed view
boo! Novak Djokovic is in a better mood than the photo suggests. He responds to provocative booing from some spectators who found the Serbs too dominant.
(Photo: Colorsport/Imago)
This Wimbledon match on a rainy, cold day under a closed roof was particularly interesting from an acoustic point of view. Because Djokovic was denied a point for roaring in the second set when the score was 6: 3, 2: 1. The referee, Richard Haigh, decided that the scream with which Djokovic accompanied a punch was too late and too loud – so there was a violation of the rules: namely, the opponent’s handicap. With the roar, so it could be understood, the concentration on the punch was disturbed.
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But someone is having fun: Carlos Alcaraz leaves Wimbledon’s Center Court – on Sunday he is expected back for the dream final.
(Photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP)
Djokovic briefly discussed with the stern Yorkshireman Haigh, then accepted the verdict. “It happened to me for the first time,” he explained to the 15,000 spectators when he later stood at the microphone: “I’m not usually known for extended grunts. Maybe it was an echo from the roof.”
So much for the jokes. On Sunday we will face an intimidating opponent: the Spanish world number one Carlos Alcaraz. In the second men’s semifinals of the tournament, the 20-year-old swept his Russian opponent Daniil Medvedev, after all the US Open winner of 2021, off the field, 6: 3, 6: 3, 6: 3. It only took him 1:50 hours.
“I will fight,” announces Alcaraz to the cheers of the spectators for the final
In the first two sets, Medvedev found little antidote to Alcaraz’s phenomenal punches. The Spaniard, who struggled to find his feet on the surface at Wimbledon last year, is now unbeaten in ten matches on grass these weeks, including the tournament at Queen’s Club. Only in the third round did Medvedev brace himself against the impending defeat. He also got two breaks – but the Spaniard three. The Russian seemed increasingly resigned.
Alcaraz now wants to accept the challenge against Djokovic, the Serbian permanent winner: “I will fight,” he announced to the cheers of the spectators. When they dueled each other in Paris a few weeks ago, the Spanish epigone suffered from spasms, from nervousness and tension, as he later admitted. Now he is the last one standing between Djokovic and the eighth gold cup. Another generational duel, one might think. But Djokovic doesn’t know any age.
Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon finals
2011 g. Rafael Nadal 6:4, 6:1, 1:6, 6:3
2013 gg. Andy Murray 4:6, 5:7, 4:6
2014 gg. Roger Federer 6:7 (7), 6:4, 7:6 (4), 5:7, 6:4
2015 gg. Roger Federer 7:6 (1), 6:7 (10), 6:4, 6:3
2018 gg. Kevin Anderson 6:2, 6:2, 7:6 (3)
2019 gg. Roger Federer 7:6 (5), 1:6, 7:6 (4), 4:6, 13:12 (3)
2021 days Matteo Berrettini 6:7 (4), 6:4, 6:4, 6:3
2022 gg. Nick Kyrgios 4:6, 6:3, 6:4, 7:6 (3)
2023-07-14 21:55:17
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