(No. 1) Jannik Sinner def. (No. 6) Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner advanced to his first career Wimbledon final with a straight-sets win over Novak Djokovic in Friday’s semifinal.
Djokovic was physically compromised throughout the match, still feeling the effects of a heavy fall during his quarterfinal win over Flavio Cobolli two days earlier. He struggled with lateral movement, particularly to his right, and often limped between points. At times, Djokovic could not even attempt to chase down Sinner’s shots, especially when forced to change direction. At the end of the second set, he took a medical timeout for treatment on his left thigh, and the numbers reflected his physical limitations. Djokovic won just 17% (5 of 30) of points on his second serve, compared to Sinner’s 63%.
Sinner, meanwhile, delivered a clinical performance. He played solidly from the baseline, struck the ball cleanly, and served with precision. He dropped just 17 points on serve in the entire match, 8 of those in his first two service games of the third set, and cruised to a two-set lead without facing much resistance.
Djokovic briefly showed signs of a comeback, jumping out to a 3–0 lead in the third set after his medical timeout. However, Sinner quickly regained control, winning five straight games to flip the set. Although Djokovic fought off two match points to hold for 4–5, Sinner closed out the match in the next game.
Sinner will now face World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final, a highly anticipated rematch of their thrilling French Open final just four weeks ago.
(No. 2) Carlos Alcaraz def. (No. 5) Taylor Fritz 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6)
Carlos Alcaraz is one win away from a third consecutive Wimbledon title and the sixth Grand Slam of his career at just 22 years old, following a four-set semifinal win over Taylor Fritz on Friday.
Fritz proved to be a formidable opponent, frequently overpowering Alcaraz with his serve and finishing the match with more winners (44 to Alcaraz’s 38) and more aces (19 to 13). However, whenever Fritz wasn’t controlling points with his serve, Alcaraz found ways to counter his momentum. From the baseline, Alcaraz dictated points with precision, blending heavy topspin with well-timed drop shots and slicing backhands that left Fritz scrambling.
In the fourth set, Fritz pushed Alcaraz to a tiebreak and had an opportunity to force a deciding set with a 6–4 lead. But, as he often does, Alcaraz elevated his level under pressure, reeling off four straight points to seal the win. With the win, he extends his current winning streak to 24 matches and advances to Sunday’s final, where he’ll face World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in a rematch of their French Open final.
