6 reasons why Jannik Sinner v Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semi-final is a must watch
The Wimbledon draw has set up a tantalising semi-final as world No.1 Jannik Sinner faces the most successful man in tennis history, Novak Djokovic.
From the moment the draw was confirmed, there was a sense of mouth-watering anticipation with many foreseeing Djokovic and Sinner meeting at this stage but neither’s route has been without issue.
The world No.1 comes up against the seven-time winner and here’s six reasons why it could be a match for the ages.
A (slow) passing of the torch
Sinner, along with Carlos Alcaraz, are clearly the heirs to the throne left behind by the Big Three but the old guard is not done just yet.
Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal may have hung up the racket but the 38-year-old Djokovic is still there and his presence in all three Slam semi-finals this year shows he is not there to just make up the numbers.
After all, the Serbian has put many young pretenders to bed in the past and although they now look the real deal, Alcaraz and Sinner join a long list of players looking to break the stranglehold on tennis from the famous three.
Sinner has beaten Djovjkoic in the last four meetings and a fifth may confirm once and for all that the next era of men’s tennis is here.
How will the two styles compare?
The match is also an intriguing battle of styles with Djokovic’s defensive skills coming up against the aggressive play of Sinner.
Sinner, both with his age and style, will likely come out firing but if Djokovic can weather the early storm, he should be able to use his experience and turn the tide in his favour.
Is this really Djokovic’s last dance?
When Djokovic looked at the 2025 calendar, he would have pegged Wimbledon and Melbourne as his best chances for that 25th Slam.
Australia ended in a frustrating way with a retirement in the semi-finals, making Wimbledon all the more important in the Serbian’s mind.
The spectre of retirement looms over him and pre-tournament he could not answer whether this was to be his “last dance” but Sinner represents the first real test of Djokovic’s credentials.
Despite being the No.6 seed, the semi-final will be the first time Djokovic plays a higher seed and in theory then, the first time he is expected to lose.
Not to mention, Sinner is on a great run against Djokovic, beating him in the last five games on a mix of surfaces but Djokovic can take heart in the fact he has yet to lose to the Italian on grass. In fact the last time these two met on this stage at this venue, Djokovic won in straight sets.
In reality, Sinner should beat Djokovic nine out of 10 times but you need only look at examples through sports history of a fading giant producing one final act of brilliance before checking out.
Sinner is battling against not just Djokovic but his own body
If Djokovic is the man Sinner has to beat on court, he has another barrier in his way to the final – his elbow.
In what now seems a cursed round of 16 match, Sinner joined Grigor Dimitrov in the physio room and there has hardly ever been more interest in the bookings of a practice court then there was waiting to see if Sinner would appear on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old did feature, for a shortened 20-minute session inside away from the cameras, as he awaited for the results of an MRI scan but a straights set victory over Ben Shelton at least eased some fitness concerns.
But Wimbledon does not let up. Four days after suffering that injury and two days after his last match, Sinner will be facing an opponent who will not let up, regardless of the year on his birth certificate.
Can the elbow hold up to the pressure? Another semi-final retirement due to injury would be a sorry sight but it is undoubtedly a narrative hovering in the background of this match-up.
Is this more than just a tennis match?
Another narrative for this is one that will follow Sinner for the rest of his career – doping.
When news of the three-month ban broke, Djokovic was one of the most vocal. He spoke of a “system and the structure” that “obviously doesn’t work”, one that had resulted in “a lack of trust” from the players and hinted there was a get out of jail free card for the top stars.
The fact that Djokovic of all people should take such umbrage with the ban should come as no surprise. The Serbian has taken ‘treating your body like a temple’ to the very extremes so for some player, consciously or subconsciously, to break that mindset will be a cardinal sin for Djokovic.
For some, this is an existential battle. This is clean against dirty, doping v non-doping, and even if the players say it is not a factor in their mind, that is a narrative that plenty will jump on.
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Can either player get through and leave enough in the tank to stop Alcaraz?
But forget doping, forget injuries, the biggest elephant in the room is a certain 22-year-old Spaniard.
Carlos Alcaraz entered this year’s tournament off the back of two successive titles at this venue and although his competition this year has not been entirely smooth sailing, his straight sets dispatching Cameron Norrie makes it six sets in a row for the man on an incredible 23-match win streak.
The schedule means that both players will already know who they will face in the final but there is every expectation that it will be Alcaraz in the final.
The question then is, can either Djokovic or Sinner win but still leave some in the tank for a Sunday showdown with Alcaraz?
If the semi-final goes long, it benefits only Alcaraz and each player knows that not only do they need to win, but they need to do so in a way that does not exhaust themselves.
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