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Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic didn't dwell on Centre Court after getting dominated by Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals. The 39-year-old Djokovic enjoyed a warm, smile-filled embrace with his 24-year-old opponent at the net after the 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 defeat Friday, quickly packed up his tennis bags and then waved to the boisterous crowd as he held one hand to his chest to show his appreciation as he walked off. Will the seven-time Wimbledon champion ever be back to play on these hallowed lawns again? Only time - something that Djokovic is running out of - will tell. It's been nearly three years since Djokovic won his record-extending 24th Grand Slam singles title at the 2023 U.S. Open. And despite reaching the semifinals at all four Grand Slams last year and reaching a final and another semi in two of three Slams this year - he acknowledges that's not enough. "For 99% of the players, that would be a very good Grand Slam result," Djokovic said. "For me, it's good but not good enough, because
If there were any lingering questions over Jannik Sinner's physical status after his meltdown at the French Open, they should be answered now. Sinner blasted his way past seven-time champion Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Friday to reach the Wimbledon final - showing off the kind of dominance he displayed before that second-round defeat in Paris. It was a measure of revenge for Sinner after Djokovic won their last meeting in five sets in this year's Australian Open semifinals. For the 39-year-old Djokovic, it marked another chance missed at adding to his record total of 24 Grand Slam titles. Aiming to defend his title at the grass-court Grand Slam, the top-ranked Sinner will face second-seeded Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final. Zverev ended the "Ferytale" run of British wild card Arthur Fery with an overpowering 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-4 victory earlier on Centre Court. Zverev will be playing for another major trophy a month after winning his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. T
Side to side. Corner to corner. Novak Djokovic kept pushing Felix Auger-Aliassime back and forth along the Centre Court baseline at Wimbledon to retrieve one shot after another. Finally, on the 22nd shot of a grueling rally deep in a fifth-set super tiebreaker, Auger-Aliassime had a forehand in the middle of the court. Under normal circumstances it might have been just the shot he was looking for. Not this time. Not after five hours of battling with the 39-year-old Djokovic. Auger-Aliassime, a 25-year-old Canadian with one of the top-rated forehands on tour, had nothing left in his tank. He sprayed his forehand wide to give Djokovic a 9-4 lead. Then both players bent over in exhaustion and leaned on their rackets. Djokovic, while he was bent over, still found energy to encourage the crowd to cheer louder, waving his right arm for more noise. One point later, the longest quarterfinal in Wimbledon history - at 5 hours and 15 minutes - was finished. "These," Djokovic said, "are the k
Novak Djokovic screamed out his frustrations at times before overcoming a surprisingly tough challenge from 132nd-ranked qualifier Roman Safiullin on Sunday to break one of Roger Federer's Wimbledon records. Djokovic had to save two set points when trailing 5-2 in the first set and was warned for apparently screaming out an obscenity in Serbian on Centre Court when he was broken early in the third. But the seven-time Wimbledon champion went on to win 7-6 (6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 for his 106th match victory at the All England Club. That puts him one ahead of Federer atop the all-time list for men, although he still trails Martina Navratilova's 120 match wins. It also puts him into the quarterfinals for the 17th time - one behind Federer's record - and three matches away from joining his former rival on eight Wimbledon titles. But the Serb acknowledged that he will have to raise his game in order to get there. "Survive to thrive, that's how I feel," Djokovic said when asked to sum up his .
There will be a new men's champion at the French Open after Novak Djokovic followed Jannik Sinner out of Roland Garros in a five-set stunner on Friday. Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca beat 24-time major winner Djokovic 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 in the third round to follow Thursday's huge upset, when No. 1 Sinner - last year's runner-up lost to 56th-ranked Juan Manuel Cerundolo. "Ten minutes after the match I could realize a little bit what I did, what I achieved," the 19-year-old Fonseca said. "How difficult it was and how amazing it was for me." Djokovic's latest quest for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title was ended and it was just the second time he lost from two sets up, the other also coming in Paris in 2010. Along with Daniil Medvedev, Marin Cilic and Stan Wawrinka, all the men's major winners are out, thus guaranteeing that a new pair of hands will raise the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy aloft on June 7 on Court Philippe-Chatrier. "Of course, Jannik and Djokovic out, ..
At age 39, Novak Djokovic can still wear opponents down. Even opponents nearly half his age - and in front of a hostile crowd. Djokovic came back from a set down for a 5-7 7-5 6-1 6-4 victory over 22-year-old home player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round of the French Open on Sunday in his record 82nd Grand Slam appearance. "Obviously playing a French player, centre court at Roland Garros is never so easy. The crowd gets into it and then you feel the pressure even more," Djokovic said after the 2 hour, 51-minute encounter. "But all in all it was a good match to be part of: Three hours, just what the doctor ordered at age 39." Grunting during long rallies and digging deep on the opening night session on Court Philippe-Chatrier, it wasn't until 1 hour, 45 minutes in that Djokovic finally found a way to break his 6-foot-7 (2.01-meter) opponent and even the match at a set all. The crowd was pumped for a potential stunner - after all, Djokovic hasn't lost in the first roun
Jannik Sinner is two victories away from becoming the first home male player to win the Italian Open in half a century. And it doesn't seem like anybody can stop him - either in Rome or at the French Open that starts in 10 days. The top-ranked Sinner landed shots on the lines repeatedly in a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over No. 14 Andrey Rublev to reach the semifinals Thursday and move past Novak Djokovic with a record 32nd consecutive victory in Masters 1000 events - the biggest tournaments outside the Grand Slams. "I don't play for records. I play just for my own story. And obviously at the same time it means a lot to me," Sinner said. The last Italian man to raise the singles trophy on the red clay of the Foro Italico was Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta will present the title to this year's champion on Sunday, with Italian President Sergio Mattarella also slated to attend the final. "It's a special tournament for me," Sinner said. Sinner's semifinal opponent will be 2023 Rome champion Da
Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the Monte Carlo Masters after having skipped the Miami Open with a right shoulder injury. "We send him our best wishes and hope to see him back on court very soon," the clay-court tournament wrote Friday in announcing Djokovic's withdrawal in an Instagram message. The post didn't specify the 38-year-old Djokovic's reason for pulling out, but the 24-time Grand Slam champion hasn't played since losing in three sets to Jack Draper in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open two weeks ago. A year ago at Monte Carlo, Djokovic lost in the second round to Alejandro Tabilo. Djokovic, ranked No. 3, has not commented on his social media channels about the withdrawal.
Defending champion Jack Draper beat five-time champ Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. The 24-year-old Draper, who is coming back after missing eight months due to an arm injury, advanced to the quarterfinal round and will face Daniil Medvedev, who beat Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-4 in the round of 16 to advance. Djokovic led 6-5 in the third set before Draper rallied and forced a tiebreaker. "I still don't feel like I'm playing anywhere near the way I want to play," Draper said. "I came out here and I won that match through determination." In addition to his win at Indian Wells last year, Draper won the Stuttgart Open and the Vienna Open, both in 2024. The 38-year-old Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, won at Indian Wells in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016. Djokovic nearly won an 11th Australian Open title earlier this year, but lost to Carlos Alcaraz.
Novak Djokovic advanced to the Australian Open semifinals after Lorenzo Musetti retired in the third set with an injury Wednesday after taking the first two sets. The fifth-seeded Musetti won the first two sets 6-4, 6-3 but took a medical timeout for treatment on his upper right leg after being broken in the third game of the third. He played on for another game but couldn't continue. Djokovic, who was leading the third set 3-1, will continue his bid for an 11th Australian title and a record 25th major but he says he was lucky this time. "I feel really sorry for him," the 38-year-old Djokovic said. "He was a far better player (today) - I was on my way home tonight." He will play the winner of Wednesday's later quarterfinal between No. 8 Ben Shelton and two-time defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner.