Novak Djokovic produced another remarkable display of resilience to defeat Felix Auger-Aliassime in a marathon five-set battle on Tuesday, securing a record-extending 15th Wimbledon semi-final appearance and setting up a blockbuster last-four clash with defending champion Jannik Sinner.
The Serbian prevailed 7-6(10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(10-4) in a contest that lasted five hours and 15 minutes, making it the longest men’s quarter-final in Wimbledon history.
Djokovic overcame a calf problem that required medical treatment during the opening set and recovered after surrendering a break advantage in the fourth set to edge past the Canadian in a gripping encounter.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion will now renew his rivalry with world number one Sinner in a repeat of last year’s Wimbledon semi-final, which the Italian won. Djokovic is chasing a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and his elusive 25th Grand Slam crown, having not won a major since the 2023 US Open.
Earlier in the day, Sinner booked his place in the semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
The defending champion defeated Struff 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3 in two hours and 35 minutes to move within two wins of retaining the Wimbledon title.
Despite facing stern resistance from the 36-year-old German, Sinner remained composed in the crucial moments. Struff recovered an early break in the second set and even earned a set point at 5-4, but the Italian responded with a series of powerful serves, including an ace, before dominating the tie-break.
“The second set could have ended in a different way,” Sinner said after the match.
“Tie-breaks 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.”
Sinner credited his improved serving and baseline consistency for helping him close out the match.
“His percentage of first serves dropped a little bit, which helped me feel slightly more comfortable. I am very happy to finish in three sets, but he is a very tough player to play against,” he added.
