Djokovic survives 5-hour marathon to set up semis showdown vs Sinner at Wimbledon
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Djokovic survives 5-hour marathon to set up semis showdown vs Sinner at Wimbledon")
Wimbledon Djokovic survives 5-hour marathon to set up semis showdown vs Sinner Photograph: (X/@Wimbledon)
Novak Djokovic survives a grueling five-hour marathon against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the longest quarterfinal in Wimbledon history, setting up a blockbuster semifinal showdown against defending champion Jannik Sinner.
Tennis veteran Novak Djokovic survived the longest quarterfinal in Wimbledon history to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in a five-hour-plus five-set marathon, booking a blockbuster semifinal showdown with defending champion Jannik Sinner. The world number seven played through pain after hurting himself in the first set to beat Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (12/10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (10/4).
His next challenge is against another title contender, Sinner, on Friday (Jul 10) for a place in the Wimbledon 2026 final.
"With a racquet and a lot of heart. I have management of the nerves and the extreme tension you feel in these kinds of matches,” Djokovic said on how he overcame heat and age to beat Auger-Aliassime. "Towards the end, it was really anyone's game. What can I say, these are the kind of moments that I still play tennis for, for sure.
"I was telling the kids to go to sleep, I'm glad they stayed because it was one of the best matches I was part of on this court in my career."
Stuck at 24 career slams since last winning it at the 2023 US Open, Djokovic bids for his record 25th major title in the Open Era and to equal Roger Federer's record of eight Wimbledon crowns. Against Sinner, Djokovic has won five of their previous meetings -- two of which came at Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023, respectively. He, however, lost to Sinner in the 2025 semifinal on grass.
"I wish it was the final so I don't need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow, but yeah, I'm happy," an exhausted Djokovic said after the match.
Meanwhile, Djokovic’s longevity is reflected in his records. His latest quarterfinal win sees him qualify for his record-extending 15th Wimbledon semifinal and 55th at the Grand Slams.
Djokovic has also qualified for the Wimbledon semifinal for an eighth consecutive time, setting a new record ahead of Roger Federer for the longest streak of men's singles semifinal appearances at the All-England Club.
All of that, however, makes no difference to him as he sees Sinner and his semifinal match as just another fixture, keeping all records to look at after he retires.
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"It's just another semifinal for me. I'm going to look at all the numbers and everything when I finish my career," Djokovic said.
