Djokovic says he wants to return to Wimbledon after Sinner ends his semifinal run

Jannik Sinner celebrates winning his second Wimbledon title (Picture: Getty) Jannik Sinner has been hailed as the ‘new Novak Djokovic’ after retaining his Wimbledon title with an impressive win over Alexander Zverev. Sinner became only the tenth man in history to win back-to-back Wimbledon titles with a 6-7 7-6 6-3 6-4 victory over new world number two Zverev. Zverev came into his first Wimbledon final in confident mood having won his maiden Grand Slam at the French Open last month and dropping just two sets at the All England Club. That run included a straight-set win over British wildcard Arthur Fery but Zverev had far less success against world number one Sinner despite taking the first set through a tie-break. The outcome may have been different had Zverev won the second tie-break but Sinner’s class told at that point and the Italian did not look back after levelling the match. Sinner, who turns 25 next month, now has two Wimbledon titles and five Grand Slams in total, with the French Open the only major missing from his collection. ‘By winning today, Jannik is getting his 100th win at Grand Slam level,’ former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli said on BBC Radio 5 Live. Sinner celebrates with his team after another Wimbledon win (Picture: Getty) ‘I think we have seen the new Novak for the next 10-15 years. The way he is able to weather the storm when he had to, come up with an extraordinary shot when he had to, it reminds me so much of Novak Djokovic.’ Former British number one Tim Henman added on Sinner’s performance: ‘A worthy champion, an incredible defence of his title. As the great players do, they find the way to get the win. ‘Sinner has got better and better as he’s gone on through this tournament. His performance in the semi-final against Djokovic and today have been truly world class.’ Alexander Zverev fell short in his first Wimbledon final (Picture: Getty) Remarkably, Sinner’s serve did not get broken in either the final against Zverev or his semi-final win over 24-time Grand Slam champion and seven-time Wimbledon winner Djokovic. Zverev, who has now lost ten games in a row to Sinner, said in his on-court interview: ‘First of all, Jannik, I don’t really like you any more! ‘But he showed once again why he is the best player in the world. It was great to share the Centre Court with you on finals weekend. A great honour to be here. It didn’t go my way but congratulations to you first of all. Once was nice had to do it twice 🏆🏆#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/kXaBUpKpMR— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 12, 2026 ‘Also in relation to Jannik’s team, who have been with him for many years now. You are number one now but you were outside the top 10 when you started and you are all the way to being Grand Slam champions and world number one. ‘It is a team effort, Jannik will be first to admit it, so congratulations to you as well. ‘To my team, we had pretty good two months I would say, even though we lost this final. Zverev after a deflating Wimbledon final defeat (Picture: Getty) ‘We had an amazing two months and we came into Wimbledon having never reached the quarter-final, and we reached a first final. ‘At 29, this is the first time I believed I could win this trophy, so thank you to you guys as well.’ Sinner was determined to take advantage of his rival Carlos Alcaraz’s absence after the Spaniard was ruled out of Wimbledon due to a wrist injury. The Princess of Wales presents Jannik Sinner the Wimbledon trophy 🏆It's back in the Italian's hands 👏#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/6sMeY0wsl5— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 12, 2026 ‘This feels amazing,’ Sinner said before paying tribute to Wimbledon finalist Zverev. ‘Sascha, I would like to start with you and your whole team and family. You reached one of your main goals; winning Grand Slams. You made it happen in Paris. ‘Today you were so, so close. If you keep playing like this I’m sure you’re going to have this one at home as well. So amazing, keep going. ‘I know another goal is for you to become number one in the world. You are very close. I have to be very careful now! But congrats.’ On winning back-to-back titles at the All England Club, Sinner added: ‘We prepared in the best possible way me and my team. I have to thank the whole team, the whole support I get from the whole box. ‘I’m very happy about the win but mostly very happy also about the level we played. You [the crowd] are the reasons. There is no better place to play tennis.’ 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

Jannik Sinner takes on Alexander Zverev on Sunday (Picture: Getty) Former British No1 Greg Rusedski has made his prediction for the blockbuster Wimbledon final between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev. Sinner, the defending champion and World No1, will take on the second seed Zverev for a place in the history books at the All England Club. Sinner did not look at his blistering best in the early stages of this Wimbledon, but delivered an immense performance to crush seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in Friday’s semi-final. The Italian will now look to become just the tenth player in the Open Era to win back-to-back titles at SW19, but faces a tough challenge against Zverev on Centre Court on Sunday. Zverev had not previously got past the fourth round at Wimbledon, but arrived this year with a weight off his shoulders after winning his first Grand Slam at the French Open. The German has dropped just two sets so far this tournament, and reached the final with a ruthless display against British wildcard Arthur Fery. Zverev goes into Sunday’s final looking to arrest his woeful recent form against Sinner, which has seen him lose his last nine matches against the World No.1. Sinner is looking to defend his title (Picture: Getty) But BBC pundit Rusedski cannot see that run coming to an end on Sunday as he predicted Sinner to retain his Wimbledon title. Speaking on the Off Court Podcast, he said: ‘I think Sinner, I’m going to pick to win. I said from the start, and especially after Djokovic got tired, I’m super impressed with him. ‘Sinner’s won something like nine in a row (against Zverev). I mean, it’s an incredible record, but I don’t think it’s straight sets. ‘I think Sasha comes out in battles. I was impressed. I think he gets at least a set, I hope he gets two and I hope it goes the distance. I want to see a classic. ‘If both men play their best tennis, we go the distance. Zverev’s got to come in aggressive, he’s got to believe, but Sinner for me to win the title.’ Zverev is into his first Wimbledon final (Picture: Getty) Meanwhile, former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard shared Rusedski’s opinion, backing Sinner to down Zverev after his impressive semi-final display. ‘After watching Sinner today, I am definitely going the Sinner route of who will win the match,’ Bouchard told the BBC. ‘He just had the perfect balance of power and consistency from the baseline. He was even moving well when he was pushed out wide. ‘One thing I do like for Zverev, though, is he has gone a little under the radar this tournament. Everyone has been so focused on Sinner, Djokovic and Fery that he has snuck his way into the final.’ POLL Poll Who will win the Wimbledon men's title Jannik SinnerCheck Alexander ZverevCheck Zverev has looked far more comfortable on grass this tournament, and former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash believes the German will have to rely on his serve and aggression if he is to produce an upset. ‘The head-to-head is just Sinner all over, he’s just never found a solution,’ Cash said. ‘But on the grass, you do get more out of the serve. And Zverev’s serve is absolutely phenomenal as we know. ‘He’s going to get a few more free points. I don’t know if he’s going to win, but if there’s any way he’s got a chance of breaking this hoodoo that Sinner’s got over him, it’s here. Because he’s going to smash a few winners. He’s going to have to be aggressive. ‘The serve of Zverev, it comes down. That’s where he really damaged Fery today. Even Novak’s got a great serve, but it’s a different ball game for Sinner on the grass. ‘If he can just stay in touch. Zverev’s tie-break record is unbelievable; he’s the tie-break master. Get to the tie-break of the first set and hope to pull it out to have a real chance. ‘But he doesn’t want to be going down two sets to love to Sinner. Even one set to love for that matter.’ 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

London: Novak Djokovic insisted he has no plans to walk away from Wimbledon despite suffering a crushing straight-sets defeat to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the semifinals on Friday, saying he hopes to return to the All England Club "at least one more time" as he continues his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title. Also Watch:A legend departs Centre Court. It's always a pleasure, @djokernole.#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/GVYMZ0uoTE— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2026 The seven-time champion's hopes of making it into a 39th Grand Slam singles final were shattered as he succumbed 6-4 6-4 6-4 to Sinner in a comprehensive victory for the Italian, who totally outclassed the 39-year-old throughout. As the 39-year-old left Centre Court to a standing ovation, speculation immediately followed about whether the Serbian great had played his last match on grass. Asked whether he would be back next year, he declared: “I would like to, at least one more time.Let’s see.” Despite admitting it had been “a good old blowout” defeat, Djokovic insisted his desire to compete at the highest level had not diminished. “Of course, I’m disappointed. I wanted to win Wimbledon. That’s the reason why I’m still pushing myself so hard,” he said.Novak Djokovic after his loss to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon“Is there anything you could’ve done tactically differently today against Jannik?”Novak: “No not really. It was a good old blow out. not much I could do.” pic.twitter.com/a7HGfL5DT4— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 10, 2026 The Serb, whose last major title was the US Open last year, highlighted the positives from reaching the last four, and in particular his victory over third-ranked Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals.“I’m proud of what I achieved three nights ago. Felix is number three, fourth player in the world. Proven to myself and others that I can still play at the highest level, and I have.”Novak Djokovic after his loss to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon“Is there anything you could’ve done tactically differently today against Jannik?”Novak: “No not really. It was a good old blow out. not much I could do.” pic.twitter.com/a7HGfL5DT4— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 10, 2026 Sinner, though, was too good this afternoon and Djokovic said he would not dwell on the result. “I reached the last four of Wimbledon. Losing in straight sets against the best player in the world, okay.It is what it is. But the tournament was positive in terms of the attitude on the court, the fighting spirit, the dedication.”Novak Djokovic says for 99% of the players, reaching a Grand Slam final and a Grand Slam semifinal so far this year would be a very good result, but for him, it’s not enough“At this point in your career, does it still remain about winning titles? Or can you leave a tournament… pic.twitter.com/qjuUQzYUWz— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 10, 2026 “I mean, it’s still there.”Djokovic conceded he was not at his peak against Sinner but stressed it would not dampen his motivation. “A little bitter taste stays as I wasn’t at the desired level today.But we turn the next page and we move on.”Novak Djokovic says he hopes to play Wimbledon at least one more time. He says Jannik Sinner was a level or more better than him at Wimbledon“The level is so high these days. Do you intend to come back next year when you’re 40?”Novak: “I’d like to. At least one more time.… pic.twitter.com/LdlxpIiLIs— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 10, 2026 The 24-times Grand Slam champion will now focus on a record-equalling 25th major title at the US Open later this year which would take him beyond Margaret Court. Djokovic made clear his career remains powered by desire, not obligation. “I don’t have any pressure or no one is forcing me to play.I do it because I really want to and because I still can. I still can play as a top-10, top-5 player.”-(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Novak Djokovic lost in a second successive Wimbledon final (Picture: Getty) Novak Djokovic insists he would like to compete at Wimbledon ‘at least one more time’ after his semi-final defeat to Jannik Sinner on Friday. Bidding to win a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title, Djokovic saw his tournament come to a shuddering halt at the hands of the defending champion. Sinner has not looked at his best so far at the All England Club, but raised his level superbly to crush Djokovic 6-4 6-4 6-4 in just under two and a half hours. Djokovic, who turned 39 just two months ago, still regularly reaches the latter stages of Grand Slams but has not emerged victorious since the 2023 US Open. But despite that, the Serbian insists he still wants to return to Wimbledon next year, but is unclear what the future holds beyond that. ‘I would like to, at least one more time,’ he said when asked if he will come back next year at age 40. ‘Let’s see.’ Djokovic was comfortably beaten by defending champion Jannik Sinner (Picture: Getty) Djokovic was typically frank when asked about his performance, rejecting the notion that fatigue was an issue and insisting there was little he could have done against Sinner’s level of tennis. ‘It was a good old blowout,’ he joked. ‘Nothing much I could do. ‘I was just half a step late basically in any shot, so… It’s very simple as that. He was just a level or more better than I was. ‘I was just not sharp enough, not reactive enough, not balanced enough to play him. That’s it. There’s not much I could do on the court.’ Djokovic has not won a Grand Slam since 2023 (Picture: Getty) Despite his age, Djokovic has still reached a final and a semi-final in two of this year’s three Grand Slams, but said appreciating those results against the backdrop of his storied career is still proving difficult. ‘In some way, I’m also dealing with myself in a sense that I’m telling myself, Look, this is amazing that you’re still able to play at such a high level and push the youngsters to the limit for Grand Slam titles, which is true,’ he said. ‘But at the same time, I always have the highest expectations for myself. So yeah, it’s kind of that internal battle really of what I’ve been through for the 20-plus years of my career, what the goals were always, the expectations, and trying to balance it out and really be a little more humble in that sense. ‘Of course, I still enjoy the thrill of competition. Tennis has given me everything in my life and has allowed me an opportunity to become who I am. ‘At the same time, you know, of course there’s always a question how far you want to go, what you want to play, how you want to play, et cetera, et cetera. ‘I go through that process, but I try to take it, in a sense, a day at a time, see how I really feel. I don’t have any pressure or no one is forcing me to play. I do it because I really want to and because I still can. I still can play as a top-10, top-5 player. Yeah, let’s see what the future brings.’ 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’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