Match ReactionSerbian struggled physically after a late fall in his quarter-final win against Cobolli
July 11, 2025
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Novak Djokovic was competing in his 52nd major semi-final. By Sam Jacot
Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon campaign came to an end on Friday, when he lost in straight sets to Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals. The 38-year-old appeared physically hampered throughout the match, still feeling the effects of a heavy fall during his quarter-final win against Flavio Cobolli two days earlier.
After the defeat, Djokovic was asked how physically compromised he felt.
“I mean, quite a bit,” Djokovic said. “Honestly, it wasn’t really a pleasant feeling on the court. I don’t want to talk, in details, about my injury and just whine about not managing to play my best. I want to congratulate Jannik for another great performance. That’s it. He’s in the finals. He was too strong.
“I do feel disappointed that I just wasn’t able to move as well as I thought or hoped that I would.”
Chasing a record-extending 25th major and a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon crown, Djokovic had looked solid through his first five matches. But the injury sustained late in his quarter-final win left him short of full strength heading into his 52nd Grand Slam semi-final.
“It’s just age, the wear and tear of the body. As much as I’m taking care of it, the reality hits me right now, last year and a half, like never before, to be honest,” Djokovic said. “It’s tough for me to accept that because I feel like when I’m fresh, when I’m fit, I can still play really good tennis. I’ve proven that this year.”
Djokovic, who came to within a match of the calendar Slam in 2023, has now exited in the semi-finals at all three Grand Slams he’s played in 2025. He retired against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open and lost to Sinner at Roland Garros.
“I guess playing best-of-five, particularly this year, has been a real struggle for me physically. The longer the tournament goes, the worse the condition gets,” Djokovic said. “I reach the final stages, I reach the semis of every Slam this year, but I have to play Sinner or Alcaraz. These guys are fit, young, sharp. I feel like I’m going into the match with tank half empty. It’s just not possible to win a match like that.”
When asked if he would appear at Wimbledon again, Djokovic remained open.
“I would be sad, but hopefully it’s not my last match on the Centre Court,” Djokovic said. “I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. So I’m planning to come back definitely at least one more time, play on the Centre Court for sure.”
The 38-year-old also reflected on the toll the game has taken on his body and the effort he puts into staying in shape.
“I don’t know what I can do differently, because the amount of hours that I spend on a daily basis to take care of myself, I’d like to challenge everyone who is out there on the tour to see if anybody takes cares of themselves more than me,” Djokovic said. “And I, unfortunately, don’t get rewarded for that right now, with injuries at the later stages of slams. But I was rewarded for many, many years…
“But it’s just that physical aspect that is bothering me. You’re there. You want to play. You’re determined. But then the body doesn’t want to listen. That’s it. That’s what you can say about it.”
Djokovic leaves London holding a 26-8 record on the season, highlighted by his 100th tour-level title in Geneva. Sunday’s final will mark the first time since 2017 that Djokovic won’t feature in the Wimbledon title match.
Asked for his thoughts on the upcoming clash between Alcaraz and Sinner, Djokovic gave a slight edge to the two-time defending champion.
“I think I will give a slight edge to Carlos as a favourite because of the two titles he’s won here and the way he’s playing and the confidence he has right now,” said Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz at Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024. “But it’s just a slight advantage because Jannik is hitting the ball extremely well. I think it’s going to be, again, a very close matchup like we had in Paris.”
