LONDON – Italy’s Jannik Sinner produced a clinical performance to defeat Novak Djokovic in straight sets on Friday, booking his place in the Wimbledon final for the first time in his career.
The 23-year-old world number one overpowered the seven-time Wimbledon champion 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court, ending Djokovic’s campaign for a record 25th Grand Slam title and extending his own winning run against the Serb to five matches.
Sinner will now face Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final, setting up a highly anticipated rematch following their five-set thriller at Roland Garros last month. The two players become only the second pair in the Open era to meet in both the French Open and Wimbledon finals in the same season—following Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Djokovic, 38, looked off pace throughout the match, still nursing a leg injury from his quarter-final clash against Italy’s Flavio Cobolli. His limited movement was evident from the early games, where he dropped serve and struggled to cope with Sinner’s speed and accuracy.
The Serb took a medical timeout in the second set to treat his left thigh, but Sinner maintained control, breaking twice and returning with confidence. Djokovic shifted to serve-and-volley play in an attempt to shorten rallies but could not change the rhythm of the contest.
Despite a brief 3-0 lead in the third set, Djokovic was unable to hold off the younger opponent, who closed the match in just over two hours.
Sinner’s victory places him among an elite group of players—joining Federer, Nadal, Agassi, Laver, and Djokovic—as only the sixth man to reach four consecutive Grand Slam finals in the Open era. His breakthrough at Wimbledon marks a significant moment for a new generation of tennis.
Djokovic, who has owned many historic moments on Centre Court, admitted after the match that age is catching up. “You want to play, but the body doesn’t want to listen,” he said.
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