​You wouldn’t ordinarily expect a 39-year-old who had just spent five hours and 15 minutes on court to test the world No. 1 in a Wimbledon semi-final. But this is Novak Djokovic we’re talking about—and, in the best possible way, he’s not ordinary. On Friday, Djokovic will confront world No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner for a spot in Sunday’s final. They met at this stage last year, with Sinner advancing in straight sets despite an elbow problem and Djokovic looking wobbly after a fall in his previous round. This time, Sinner is injury-free and has not dropped a set since his opening match went the distance. Yet Djokovic needed a medical timeout after maybe tweaking his left calf early in his grueling quarter-final against Felix Auger-Aliassime, then fought on until nearly 11 p.m. to edge the Canadian.
Age, time on court and the head-to-head all point in Sinner’s direction, but Djokovic did win their last meeting at this stage during the Australian Open and cannot be ruled out. He is also chasing more history, just two wins shy of an outright record 25th Grand Slam singles title, which would put him level with Margaret Court. The Serb advanced to the last four in Melbourne thanks to a walkover and a mid-match retirement, but enters Friday’s clash having won only one of his five Wimbledon matches in straight sets. “I still try to prove to myself and others that I’m able to compete with the best players in the world and beat them on the biggest stages,” Djokovic said. “That’s what I’ve done in Australia, it’s what I’ve done here. Hopefully I can do it for a few more matches in London.”
To Wimbledon and back—the story of Fery’s journey to Centre Court spotlight; “The whole match was the tie-break”—how the rollercoaster semi-final unfolded. Djokovic’s movement and shot-making against Auger-Aliassime, even deep into the fifth set, were remarkable for a man nearing his 40th year. He has always been renowned for his durability. In 2012, at the Australian Open, he beat Andy Murray in a semi-final that lasted four hours and 50 minutes, had a day off, and then defeated Rafael Nadal in five hours and 50 minutes—the longest men’s singles final in history. Fourteen years later, though, Djokovic entered last year’s semi-final against Sinner with his “tank half empty.”
“I do think grass is the least physically demanding surface,” former British No. 1 Tim Henman said on BBC TV. “Those five-setters are inevitably going to exhaust anyone, but when you’re 39, gauging those energy levels becomes incredibly important.” Jannik Sinner (left) had won five matches in a row against Novak Djokovic before this year’s Australian Open. Djokovic saved 16 of the 18 break points he faced, which is a reminder of the razor-tight nature of their rivalry.