Novak Djokovic will face his toughest challenge yet in his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title when he takes on defending champion Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon men’s semi-finals on Friday.
The other semi-final will see French Open champion Alexander Zverev face British wildcard Arthur Fery, who has been the surprise package of the tournament.
Djokovic is hoping to recover from a gruelling quarter-final victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime, which became the longest Wimbledon quarter-final in history.
The 39-year-old will now take on world number one Sinner in a rematch of this year’s Australian Open semi-final, where Djokovic ended a five-match losing streak against the Italian with a five-set victory.
Reflecting on that match, Djokovic admitted the situation is different now.
“I had a very long semi-final against Sinner,” Djokovic said.
“That was the first major tournament of the year and I was much fresher after several months of preparation. It’s different now, but it’s another great opportunity for me at a Grand Slam.”
Sinner has also had to deal with difficult conditions during the tournament but looked in control during his quarter-final win over Jan-Lennard Struff.
The Italian defeated Djokovic in straight sets in last year’s Wimbledon semi-final before going on to lift the title. That win helped make up for his defeats to the Serbian in the 2022 quarter-finals and the 2023 semi-finals.
“He has won this tournament so many times and knows exactly how to play here,” Sinner said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
The four-time Grand Slam champion is still searching for his first major title of the year after suffering a shock second-round exit at the French Open, where he squandered a two-set lead against Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
Meanwhile, Arthur Fery has been one of the biggest stories of this year’s Wimbledon. The British wildcard has become the first men’s wildcard to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals since Goran Ivanisevic won the title in 2001.
Currently ranked 114th in the world, Fery is guaranteed to climb to at least world number 36 after the tournament.
He will now face French Open champion Alexander Zverev, who arrives full of confidence after winning the first Grand Slam title of his career at Roland Garros last month.
Fery believes the home crowd can once again make a difference after playing a key role in his quarter-final victory over Flavio Cobolli.
“The crowd has been a huge help, especially on Centre Court,” Fery said.
“I’ve tried to use their support in important moments to put a little extra pressure on my opponents. I’ll try to do the same again on Friday.”
Zverev is also playing in his first Wimbledon semi-final after failing to get beyond the fourth round in his previous nine appearances at the All England Club.
“Zverev is another step up, but I’m ready. I have nothing to lose,” Fery said.
Zverev, who is aiming to become the first German man to win Wimbledon since Michael Stich in 1991, said he is unfazed by the prospect of a partisan crowd.
“I know that almost everyone will be supporting Arthur,” Zverev said. “But I enjoy those kinds of atmospheres. I like playing when the energy is high.”
