Sinner, Djokovic set for Wimbledon semifinal rematch

Defending champion Jannik Sinner advanced to the semifinals at Wimbledon for the third time with a 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over unseeded Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany on Tuesday.

The World No. 1 and the tournament’s top seed, Sinner extended his winning streak to 12 matches at the All England Club after hammering 16 aces against the 74th-ranked Struff.

The Italian will face seven-time Wimbledon champ Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the semifinals. The seventh-seeded Djokovic, 39, outlasted No. 3 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in a five-set slugfest on Tuesday night, 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4).

Djokovic’s instant reaction captured on the court was that the five-hour, 15-minute quarterfinal was one the best matches in his career at Wimbledon. In the fifth set, a 6-6 tiebreak -- the winner is the first to 10 points -- was necessary after neither player broke serve.

Somehow, Djokovic found the legs to regain control.

“With racket and a lot of heart, a lot of management of the nerves and the extreme tension that you feel in these kinds of matches,” Djokovic said. “Toward the end, really anybody’s game. ... What can I say? These are the kinds of moments that I still play tennis for.”

Their showdown ended in familiar fashion, with Djokovic standing midcourt, arms spread to absorb the adoration of England as he advanced to his eighth consecutive Wimbledon semifinal.

Sinner defeated Djokovic in straight sets in last year’s semifinals at the grass-court Grand Slam. Sinner, once 1-4 in his career against Djokovic, enters this meeting with five wins in their last six matches. Djokovic won the most recent duel at the 2026 Australian Open.

On Tuesday, Sinner won in three sets but admitted to having a tough time against Struff, who rebounded from losing the first set to take a 5-4 edge in the second. Sinner responded by winning that game and ultimately the tiebreaker.

“The second set could have ended in a different way,” Sinner said in his on-court interview. “Tiebreaks are always 50/50. If you are one set all or two sets up, it’s a big (difference). So in the third set, I was a little bit more relaxed, for sure.

“His percentage of first serves dropped a little bit, which helped me feel slightly more comfortable. I’m very happy to finish in three sets, but he’s a very tough player to play against. So I’m pleased.”

Earlier in the day, No. 2 seed and Roland Garros champion Alexander Zverev of Germany completed a 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (8) victory over Czech 13th seed Jiri Lehecka to wrap the round of 16. They hit curfew Monday night with the third set knotted 3-all. Zverev is slated to play American sixth seed Taylor Fritz in the quarters Wednesday, while No. 9 seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy will meet British wild card Arthur Fery.

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This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 11:49 AM.