Jannik Sinner, in his best-ever run at a Grand Slam tournament, prepares to face defending champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals at Wimbledon. Reflecting on their previous encounter and seeking redemption, Sinner acknowledges the match will be a tactical battle against Djokovic'
Jannik Sinner is making an impressive breakthrough at Wimbledon, reaching the semifinals in what is his best-ever run at a grand slam tournament. However, his next challenge is none other than the defending champion, Novak Djokovic. Sinner is well aware of their previous encounter in last year's Wimbledon quarterfinals, where he held a two-set lead but ultimately fell short as Djokovic mounted a remarkable comeback to claim the victory and ultimately the title.
Reflecting on that match, Sinner sees it as a valuable learning experience that has fueled his motivation to improve and seek redemption. With the upcoming semifinal clash, Sinner acknowledges that this time around, it will be a completely different match, presenting a fresh opportunity to halt Djokovic's extraordinary run at Wimbledon.
“I am going to watch [last year’s quarter-final], knowing that it is going to be a completely different match, because I am different but I feel like also he has improved,” the Italian told Euro. “He is playing much better, so it's going to be a very tactical match.”
Jannik Sinner has had a relatively smooth path at Wimbledon, with his opponents not ranked within the top 75 of the world rankings. Despite early losses in previous tournaments, Sinner has displayed solid and consistent performance, bouncing back from his surprising defeat at Roland Garros.
As he prepares to face Novak Djokovic, Sinner acknowledges the importance of different conditions that may influence the outcome of the match. He highlights factors like the roof being closed or open, weather conditions, and wind as potential game-changers. However, he expresses his excitement about the opportunity to compete against Djokovic once again.
Sinner might prefer the roof to be closed, as statistics suggest that the balls tend to fly faster and more consistently in such conditions. This would suit his powerful groundstrokes from the back of the court. However, it's worth noting that Djokovic has not lost on Centre Court since 2013, making this a highly challenging situation for any professional tennis player.
Reflecting on his Wimbledon journey, Sinner acknowledges the significance of reaching his first Grand Slam semifinal. Despite his consistent performances in recent Grand Slam tournaments, reaching the quarterfinals in four out of the last seven, this is the first time he has the opportunity to compete for a spot in the final.
“It means a lot, many hours of work on the court and sacrifices, and it feels good. In the other way, the tournament is not finished. I’m happy, I'm pleased that I can play my first semi-final here in this special court against a very special player. I'm looking forward to and hopefully it's going to be a good match,” concluded the Italian.
Djokovic is in imperious form and aiming for a fifth consecutive Wimbledon title, and overcame another big hitter in Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinal. Although he was given trouble by Sinner in their encounter last year, he will also have the confidence that he can outlast a player who has struggled with remaining competitive in long matches in the past. It promises to be a spectacular encounter between the pair.
