WimbledonRivals to face off for trophy for the second major in a row
July 11, 2025
2025 Getty Images
Jannik Sinner defeats Novak Djokovic to reach his first Wimbledon final. By Andy West
Jannik Sinner swept aside Novak Djokovic on Friday to reach his maiden Wimbledon championship match and simultaneously earn the opportunity for a swift slice of major-final revenge.
The Italian eased past the physically struggling Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-finals at the grass major to book a title showdown with Carlos Alcaraz. Last month, Sinner let slip three championship points against Alcaraz in the Roland Garros final, and the pair will now resume their rivalry Sunday on the All England Club’s iconic Centre Court.
”I can’t believe it,” said Sinner, when asked about reaching his first Wimbledon final. “It’s a tournament I always watched when I was young on television. I would never have imagined that I could play here in the final, so it’s amazing. I know how much work me and my team are putting in. My dad and my brother arrived today, so it’s even more special.”
INTO HIS FIRST WIMBLEDON FINAL 🔥@janniksin takes out Djokovic in straight sets to reach his 5th Grand Slam final!Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/yhsE4R2Nl2
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 11, 2025
Even with Djokovic’s movement well below its trademark best after he sustained an injury late in his quarter-final win against Flavio Cobolli, Sinner was typically clinical in completing his one-hour, 55-minute last-four win. Aside from a lapse early in the third set that left him trailing 0-3, the No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings was precise on serve and rock-solid from the baseline throughout.
“On my side, I served very well today,” reflected Sinner. “I felt great on court. I was moving much better today, and I think we all saw, especially in the third set, that he was a bit injured. He fell in the last couple of points in the quarter-finals. He was in a very difficult situation, but I tried to stay calm and tried to play the best tennis I can, especially in the important moments.”
By defeating Djokovic, Sinner completed the set of final appearances at all four Grand Slam events. He is the 11th man to complete that feat in the Open Era. The 23-year-old has now won five consecutive matches against Djokovic, a streak that includes Grand Slam semi-final triumphs (2024 Australian Open, 2025 Roland Garros and Wimbledon).
Doubts had surrounded Djokovic’s fitness heading into Friday’s semi-final after he fell in the final game against Cobolli on Wednesday. The seven-time champion subsequently cancelled his on-site practice scheduled for Thursday at Aorangi Park and, once the semi-final with Sinner began, he seemed to struggle with pushing off to get back into court if taken wide.
Sinner’s own Wimbledon campaign became dogged with fitness issues after he slipped early in the fourth round against Grigor Dimitrov, who was later forced to retire when leading the World No. 1 by two sets. Sinner subsequently eased past Ben Shelton in the fourth round and his performance against Djokovic was another sign that he is back to firing on all cylinders.
The reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, Sinner delivered an early blow by breaking Djokovic’s serve in the third game of the match, and he cruised to a two-set lead without any real peril. Sinner struck the ball cleanly off both wings and replicated the stunning serving display he had produced against Shelton. The World No. 1 dropped just 17 points on serve in the match, with eight of those coming in his first two service games of the third set.
Djokovic, won won just 17 per cent (5/30) of points behind his second serve overall, received a medical timeout on his left thigh at the end of the second set. The 38-year-old then quickly opened a 3-0 lead in the third, but he was unable to maintain his momentum. With Sinner dominant in the majority of extended rallies, the Italian reeled off five straight games and, although Djokovic fended off two match points to hold for 4-5, Sinner made no mistake in completing his win behind his own delivery.
Alcaraz leads Sinner 8-4 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series heading into Sunday’s final, having won their five most-recent tour-level meetings. It is Sinner who triumphed in the only previous grass-court encounter between the two, however: The Italian registered a four-set win in the Wimbledon fourth round in 2022.
Sinner and Alcaraz facing off in another Grand Slam final marks the continued emergence of a new ‘Big Two’ era and guarantees that after Sunday the pair will have shared the past seven major titles. The title showdown will also be crucial in the two players’ battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours. Alcaraz currently leads Sinner by 2,240 points in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, but the Italian will reduce that significant deficit to 1,540 points by winning the title.
“We saw the last final. You never know,” said Sinner, when asked about the prospect of meeting Alcaraz. “It’s a huge honour for me to share the court once again with Carlos. We try to push ourselves to the limit. He is for sure one of the players I look up to. I love watching him and we all agree what kind of talent he is. Hopefully it’s going to be a good match like the last one.”
