Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic advance as pundits debate Wimbledon title chances

Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon run is over (Picture: Getty) Andre Agassi believes there is nothing Novak Djokovic could have done differently in his Wimbledon semi-final defeat to defending champion Jannik Sinner. Just months after turning 39, Djokovic returned to the All England Club bidding to win a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam. However, the Serbian fell at the penultimate hurdle as Sinner produced an imperious display to win 6-4 6-4 6-4 on Centre Court. The World No1 now advances to Sunday’s final where he will face Alexander Zverev, while Djokovic’s wait for a first Grand Slam since 2023 goes on. Djokovic came into this match after a gruelling five-hour quarter-final against Felix Auger Aliassime but looked fresh in the early stages under an intense Wimbledon heat. But Djokovic simply had no answer for Sinner’s all-round excellence, with the Italian breaking once in each set set as he cruised to victory in just under two and a half hours. The result mirrors last year’s semi-final, when an injury-affected Djokovic was swept aside by Sinner as the Italian went on to win Wimbledon for the first time. Jannik Sinner is through to another Wimbledon final (Picture: Getty) And while he was able to compete better on this occasion, eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi struggled to see what else Djokovic could have done to have turned the tide against an unstoppable Sinner. Speaking in commentary on the BBC, he said: ‘Listen, if I had to find something criticial that Novak didn’t do or should have done, I wouldn’t be able. ‘He really came out here with a clear game plan, he really came out here executing everything he can do to the best of his ability without hesitation. ‘But everything was answered by Sinner.’ Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard echoed Aggasi’s sentiments, saying: ‘It’s the cleanest Jannik Sinner has looked all tournament. He was hitting his balls with a lot of power but he also had that consistency. ‘I expected Djokovic to win the longer rallies and the extended points but it was Sinner who was winning them and forcing Djokovic to find solutions. ‘He was coming to the net, he was using drop shots, using serve and volley – which I liked – but it ended up not working because Jannik was jut so strong.’ More to follow… Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner will meet in a blockbuster semi-final (Picture: Getty) Former British No1 Greg Rusedski has explained why Jannik Sinner has an ‘advantage’ over Novak Djokovic ahead of their tantalising Wimbledon semi-final. The number one player in the world faces one of the greatest players in history for a place in Sunday’s final at the All England Club. Sinner, the defending champion, eased into the semi-finals with a straight-set victory over Jan-Lennard Struff on Tuesday. The Italian has not looked at his blistering best so far at SW19, but has not dropped a set since his opening-round tussle with Miomir Kecmanovic. Djokovic, meanwhile, has been forced to dig deep and grind out victories to reach yet another Wimbledon semi-final just months after turning 39. The Serbian legend was pushed all the way in his quarter-final by third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, eventually prevailing in a fifth-set tie-break after a thrilling encounter that lasted more than five hours. Djokovic now has two days to recover before resuming his bid to win a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam. Djokovic beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in the longest-ever Wimbledon quarter-final (Picture: Getty) But BBC commentator Rusedski believes that the gruelling nature of Djokovic’s last-eight match may have dashed his hopes of pulling off the upset against Sinner on Friday. ‘I’m not on the fence on this,’ he said on The Off Court podcast. ‘I’m putting myself on the line. I called Djokovic to win a 25th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, but he has just used up too much energy. ‘Djokovic can’t go backhand to backhand as he did against Auger-Aliassime. Yes, he’s going to try to break down the forehand. Sinner’s going to get that work in. He’s going to clean it up. He’s going to be focused. ‘He hasn’t won a major this year. He hasn’t been to the final of a major yet this year. And on top of that, with Novak, I just can’t see it after this brutal match that happened.’ Greg Rusedski is backing Sinner to prevail on Friday (Picture: Getty) Rusedski continued: ‘How can he recover? The next forty eight hours, you know, is he allowed an IV? Is he gonna take ice baths? How’s he gonna get his body ready? He’s definitely not hitting any tennis balls whatsoever tomorrow. ‘Tomorrow’s just recovery, recovery, recovery. And if he can bounce back, the tennis is there. But I’ve got to give the advantage now to Jannik Sinner just because of the physical match he’s played. ‘Can he bounce back at 39 years young? If he does, he’s got a shot. But I don’t know if the body will allow him to perform in the manner that he wants to.’ POLL Poll Who will reach the Wimbledon final on Sunday? Jannik SinnerCheck Novak DjokovicCheck Meanwhile, Sinner insisted that he is expecting a ‘very tough match’ against Djokovic in what will be a repeat of last year’s semi-final, which the Italian won comfortably. ‘I feel like every match (against Novak) is different,’ he said. ‘Even when I had this small streak with him, I felt like every match has really its own story. ‘Especially when you play on a surface like this, if you have a bad serving day or not feeling the ball very well, it’s going to be very, very tough. ‘In any case, I’m happy to be back in the semis. I’m happy to fight for every ball, then we see. ‘He has won this tournament so many times and he knows exactly how to approach it. I’m looking forward to it.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Novak Djokovic is bidding to win his eighth Wimbledon title (Picture: Getty) John Isner believes Novak Djokovic has surpassed Roger Federer as the greatest grass-court player in history as he chases yet another Wimbledon title.Djokovic, 39, is bidding to win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title and join his great rival Federer with eight Wimbledon wins.The Serbian legend has only dropped three sets on his route to the quarter-finals, where he will face Canada’s world number four Felix Auger Aliassime.Djokovic’s last win over qualifier Roman Safiullin saw him take Federer’s record for the most men’s singles match victories at SW19.With a staggering 106 wins at the All England Club, Djokovic is now second only to nine-time women’s champion Martina Navratilova, who claimed 120 victories at Wimbledon.Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, former Wimbledon semi-finalist Isner said: ‘Getting to the quarter-finals, once again, at the age of 39 is just ridiculous.‘And he still looks pretty good, he should be pretty fresh for his next match. Winning over 100 matches at Wimbledon is just absurd. Roger Federer won a record eight Wimbledon titles (Picture: Getty) ‘Most players that have decent ATP careers don’t get to 100 wins in total never mind at one of the Grand Slams, it’s unbelievable. Is he the greatest grass-court player of all time?’Fellow former American tennis star Steve Johnson then said: ‘I don’t know… The longevity is unheard of and might never be topped again.‘I mean, I don’t think those numbers will ever be touched. But I think it’s hard to say because look at Pistol Pete [Sampras] before Wimbledon changed the grass in the early 2000s. Former American number one John Isner (Picture: Getty) ‘Since then it’s become less serve and volley and more from the baseline and it’s evolved over the years.‘It’s hard to say Novak Djokovic is not the greatest mover of all time on grass. It’s hard to compare eras because it’s changed so much over the years but yeah, he’s making an argument for potentially being the best grass-court player.‘Definitely in this era. If he wins this one at 39 it’s a slam dunk.’ Djokovic’s next opponent Felix Auger-Aliassime (Picture: Getty) Isner believes Djokovic has already settled the debate, however, and says still competing for majors at the age of 39 is ‘otherworldly’.‘I don’t think he’s making an argument, I think the argument has been made,’ Isner, 41, added.‘He’s not doing it like Pete did with the serve and volley, Roger would come to the net a lot more as well. Novak is very handy at the net but by and large he’s doing it from the back of the court.‘The fact he’s still doing this at 39 is just otherworldly. You see other athletes doing it like Messi and Ronaldo and Novak is up there with those. He’s in the Mount Rushmore of greatest athletes of all time in my opinion.’Djokovic’s quarter-final opponent Auger-Aliassime breezed through the first three rounds before being taken to five sets by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the round-of-16. The 25-year-old Canadian is bidding to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon for the first time and ultimately win his first Grand Slam title.World number one and four-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner remains the heavy favourite to win back-to-back Wimbledon titles.For more stories like this, check our sport page.Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Tim Henman (Picture: Getty) Tim Henman believes only one player is capable of preventing Jannik Sinner from retaining his Wimbledon title at the All England Club. Sinner overcame Carlos Alcaraz in an enthralling four-set contest last year to win the Wimbledon title for the first time in his career. But the Italian arrived back at the All England Club this week with questions hanging over his title defence following his shock second-round exit in May’s French Open. Sinner certainly showed signs of rustiness in his first match against Miomir Kecmanovic, with the 24-year-old taken to five sets before grinding out the win. The World No1 has looked far improved in recent matches, recording straight-set victories over Nuno Borges and Jenson Brooksby to book his spot in the fourth round. But speaking after his victory over Brooksby, Sinner admitted he still has work to do to get back to his best. ‘Very happy about the win,’ he said. ‘I’m trying to improve every day. Small step forwards today, trying to get better. Jannik Sinner is the defending champion (Picture: Getty) ‘If I want to go far in this tournament, there are a couple of things we need to work on. He was a very tough opponent; I’m very happy about the result.’ Despite not looking his best so far in the opening week, former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe believes Sinner is still the ‘absolute’ favourite to win again at SW19 this year. The defending champion will now face Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki in the next round, with a potential blockbuster semi-final clash against seven-time champion Novak Djokovic still a distinct possibility. Novak Djokovic was made to work against Arthur Rinderknech in round three (Picture: Getty) And former Wimbledon semi-finalist Henman believes the Serbian is Sinner’s biggest threat after he came through a hard-fought contest against Arthur Rinderknech to reach the fourth round. Asked if Djokovic’s level has dropped in recent years, Henman said: ‘Not on a grass court. I think there are times, because his movement was so exceptional a few years ago, where he isn’t quite as quick. ‘But I look at his ball striking, I look at his confidence and I also look around at his fellow competitors and he’s coming into the vast majority of these matches as the favourite. Sinner beat Djokovic en route to winning the title last year (Picture: Getty) ‘We’re allowed to speculate and look ahead and the only match in the only draw where he would be the underdog would be against Sinner, and that’s potentially in the semis. ‘Auger-Aliassime is seeded third, but I’d take Djokovic any day of the week. Shelton has lost; Fritz is perhaps the only other interesting one.’ Analysing Djokovic’s win over the big-serving Frenchman Rinderknech, Henman added: ‘It was a fairly predictable match in those first two sets, but Arthur Rinderknech deserves a lot of credit for his efforts in the third and fourth. ‘He really held his level and he pushed Novak Djokovic to the brink, but when Djokovic needed it most, he came up with his best tennis to take that fourth-set tie-break and the match.’ Speaking after his win, Djokovic told the BBC: ‘I think I’ve done everything I needed to do today, under circumstances that weren’t maybe as good for me as they were in the second round, and it was still enough to win. ‘At this age and stage in my career, every day brings something new and unpredictable for me. I’m hoping that I will come out at my best in a few days’ time.’ Djokovic will now face qualifier Roman Safiullin in the fourth round after he produced an impressive straight-set victory over Joao Fonseca. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Three-time Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick (Picture: Getty) Andy Roddick believes Novak Djokovic is playing better than he has ‘for a while’ and has a ‘real chance’ of winning Wimbledon as he ‘looks sharper’ than Jannik Sinner.Djokovic, 39, is bidding to win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam and join his great rival Roger Federer on eight Wimbledon titles.The Serbian legend has failed to add to his Grand Slam tally since 2023, finding it difficult to compete with the two best players in the world, Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.Sinner and Alcaraz have shared most of the major titles in recent years, with the former winning four since the start of 2024 and the latter picking up seven since his first in September 2022.Djokovic only has one of those rivals to contend with at Wimbledon, however, as Alcaraz was forced to withdraw due to the wrist injury that also kept him out of the French Open.The seven-time champion dropped a set in his first-round match against China’s Wu Yibing but produced a ‘vintage’ performance to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round.Roddick was in one of the Centre Court commentary boxes for Djokovic’s second-round victory and said he was ‘blown away’ by the veteran’s level. Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic (Picture: Getty) The three-time Wimbledon finalist even said Djokovic currently ‘looks sharper’ than world number Sinner, who followed up a nervy five-set win over Miomir Kecmanovic with a straight-set victory over Nuno Borges.Sinner, 24, was a heavy favourite to win the recent French Open following Alcaraz’s withdrawal but lost in the second round after struggling with the heat and cramp.‘I was in the commentary bunker on court for Novak Djokovic’s game and seeing him up close was really interesting,’ Roddick said on the Served podcast. World number one and Wimbledon favourite Jannik Sinner (Picture: Getty) ‘He served unbelievable and the ball-striking was unbelievable. He is in this tournament with a real chance. Today was important on a number of levels.‘One, you win a match in the drive for 25, but you do it quickly as well. There was no part of his game that didn’t look locked in today.‘I know it’s a good matchup for Novak, there’s not a lot Tsitsipas can do against him, it’s a runaway train of a matchup with Novak now winning 12 in a row against him. A Centre Court masterclass ✨Novak Djokovic advances to his 20th Wimbledon third round 😮‍💨#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/U1khfzdPEm— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 1, 2026 ‘But it was a vintage performance. He was cooking second serve returns, he was moving the ball around the court and injecting as much pace on the ball as I’ve seen in a while.‘I was blown away with the quality of his ball-striking today. Novak was phenomenal from start to finish – he is in this thing.‘His movement at this age, when he’s not the fastest he’s ever been, translates better on grass than any other surface. Roger Federer holds the record for most Wimbledon wins (Picture: Getty) ‘I’m just telling you now, that was a message sent because he is cleaning the ball and he did himself a massive favour with the time on court.‘I also called Jannik Sinner and that forehand is struggling a bit, he’s searching for something a little bit. His serve bailed him out a little bit and Borges got tight at points.‘But Jannik is still searching for something – Novak looked way sharper than Sinner today.‘We’re nit-picking with Sinner because it’s only round two and if he goes and plays great in the semis then this conversation is going to be like a fart in the wind.‘It’s surprising he’s missed as much as he has in the first two rounds but it would surprise no one if he turned it around in one match. It’s something to keep an eye on going forward.’Djokovic returns to Wimbledon action with a third-round match against the big-serving Arthur Rinderknech, while Sinner faces America’s Jenson Brooksby.For more stories like this, check our sport page.Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe (Picture: Getty) John McEnroe believes Jannik Sinner is ‘absolutely’ the favourite to win Wimbledon again this year after the defending champion booked his place in the third round. Sinner overcame Carlos Alcaraz in an enthralling four-set contest last year to win the Wimbledon title for the first time in his career. But the Italian arrived back at the All England Club this week with questions hanging over his title defence following his shock second-round exit in May’s French Open. Sinner has played just once since his defeat at Roland Garros – an exhibition match against Cameron Norrie – and the 24-year-old certainly showed signs of rustiness in his first match against Miomir Kecmanovic. Kecmanovic went ahead two sets to one in that encounter, but Sinner fought back to grind out a five-set victory over the Serbian. The defending champion looked far more comfortable in the second round, winning in straight sets over Nuno Borges on Centre Court, and will now face America’s Jenson Brooksby in the third round. And former Wimbledon champion McEnroe believes that Sinner’s win over Borges is proof the Italian is already getting back to his best. Jannik Sinner is the defending champion (Picture: Getty) ‘It was a great test for him,’ McEnroe said. ‘He played a guy playing as good as he could play, throwing a lot at him and made him come up with the goods in some tense moments. ‘Sinner has got to be feeling good about that to get through in straight sets. But that’s just what the doctor ordered: it was highly competitive and his level lifted so it’s good signs for Jannik Sinner.’ Asked if the Italian is the favourite to win again, McEnroe quickly responded: ‘Oh yeah, absolutely, no question about that. The Italian beat Nuno Borges in the second round (Picture: Getty) ‘There is a little dent in the armour which you saw in France. There’s always that risk when you don’t play any matches (on grass before the tournament). ‘You’re a little bit unsure the first couple of rounds but he’s going to go into Friday feeling a lot better than he did two sets to one down on Monday as the defending champion.’ Asked about his opening two matches of the tournament, Sinner said on Wednesday: ‘For sure for the first match on grass, having a tough opener,then getting through, it was good, was important. Novak Djokovic will look to deny Sinner (Picture: Getty) ‘Today I managed the first couple of sets very well in tricky moments. I know that I can, or hopefully I can play a little bit better at times I know. ‘Hopefully that comes match by match, then we see.’ Among those hoping to deny Sinner a second Wimbledon crown is seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, who booked his spot in the third round with an emphatic straight-sets victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas. Djokovic, who turned 39 in May, is bidding to equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles and will now face France’s Arthur Rinderknech in the next round. Analysing Djokovic’s performance on BBC One, former world number 11 Sam Querrey said: ‘That’s the best Novak Djokovic has played since the Australian Open this year. That was an almost flawless performance. ‘If he can sustain that level for five more matches, there is no reason to think he doesn’t have a good shot at the Wimbledon title this year.’ Elsewhere, second-seed Alexander Zverev will look to follow up his French Open triumph with a deep run at Wimbledon, although the German has yet to get past the fourth round before at SW19. America’s Ben Shelton is the only top-ten seed already out of the tournament after he lost to wildcard Otto Virtanen in five sets in the first round. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source