Reigning champion Novak Djokovic completes remarkable comeback from two sets down to beat 10th seed Jannik Sinner in Wimbledon quarter-final, as world No 1 moves a step closer to his FOURTH straight SW19 crown

  • Novak Djokovic completed a remarkable comeback to beat Italian Jannik Sinner
  • The Serbian found himself two sets down to the 10th seed in the last eight clash
  • World No 1 then cruised to win the third set, putting 20-year-old on the back foot
  • The reigning champion sealed back-to-back set wins to reach the semi-finals 

After two sets of a coup, Novak Djokovic headed for the toilets and chatted with the ailing monarch in the mirror. It might just be the most significant conversation he’s had since the Australian authorities asked to see his documentation in January.

What a peculiar year it has been for this maligned giant of sport, and what a way he found to save it on Tuesday, just as all appeared to be lost.

For close to two hours on Centre Court, Djokovic looked done, seven shades beaten out of him by the magnificent Jannik Sinner. 

Novak Djokovic pulled off a huge comeback to seal a place in the Wimbledon semi-finals

Novak Djokovic pulled off a huge comeback to seal a place in the Wimbledon semi-finals

The 20-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner (pictured) made an impressive start taking a two set lead

The world No 1 found himself two sets down to the 10th seed Sinner in the quarter-final match

The world No 1 found himself two sets down to the 10th seed Sinner in the quarter-final match

With the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge watching on, we were heading for an uprising of the ages, and a forewarning of a torch that might one day pass from a 20-time Slam champion to a 20-year-old of such considerable talent. Deadly sins indeed. 


But if you go for the king, you best not miss. And here’s the kicker – Sinner didn’t miss much at all in this quarter-final. He was sublime in taking the first two sets against an off-colour champion, and he was only marginally beneath the same level through the three that followed Djokovic’s resurrection in the bathroom. But sublime doesn’t always cut it.

Not against Djokovic. Not when he is prone to those sudden elevations, where in a blink he climbs to a different game, his shots travelling that bit lower and deeper and with more fizz, relentlessly hitting their mark, over and over and over until balls stop coming back. 

We are used to it, of course, and some might even find it monotonous compared to Roger Federer’s ballet, but it is never less than astonishing when Djokovic gets to that place of total and devastating efficiency.

Across those three sets, the six-time champion didn’t so much as face a break point as he engineered a two-set comeback for the seventh time in his career, teeing up a 26th straight win at Wimbledon and a semi-final against Cameron Norrie.

The Serb managed to up the intensity and pull a set back himself with a 6-3 win in the third set

The Serb managed to up the intensity and pull a set back himself with a 6-3 win in the third set

Djokovic then served out the fourth set to get himself back level with the Italian at Wimbledon

Djokovic then served out the fourth set to get himself back level with the Italian at Wimbledon

To see Sinner’s expression after his place in the last four was downgraded to pats on the back was to see what it is to face plant into a giant wall at great speed. ‘A fantastic player,’ as Djokovic called the Italian 10th seed, before discussing the moment it all turned. 

‘It was a pep talk in the bathroom,’ he said. ‘As fake as it looks or sounds to you, it really gives you an effect and support if you are trying to reanimate yourself. So that's what I have done.

‘I did that after I lost two sets in the final of Roland Garros against Stefanos Tsitsipas (which he won in five in 2021), and today it worked. It doesn't always work. But I just felt like I had to change something - I was being dominated by Sinner. Thankfully Grand Slams are played in best-of-five.’

The match was a brilliant and odd tale of changing rhythms. Djokovic had stormed out of the traps by taking the first seven points and a quick break to go 3-0 up after only nine minutes.

From there he worked his way to 4-1 with a further break point, whereupon all the precision and pop of his strokes and serves suddenly vanished. It was that abrupt.

The 20-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic then won 6-2 in the fifth set to seal the victory

The 20-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic then won 6-2 in the fifth set to seal the victory

It became most noticeable that his level had slipped at 4-2 ahead, when he botched a pair of drop shots and committed the meekest of double faults to give back the break. 

From there, Sinner took control of the second half of the set and didn’t relent until he was 7-5, 6-2 ahead, excelling with the same sort of low-key domination of rallies that made Djokovic famous.

Pushing to become the youngest semi-finalist since Djokovic in 2007, the challenge for Sinner was getting over the line. Given Djokovic’s form for reversing dire situations, what faced Sinner was one of the longer home straights in sport.

As proof, he was broken to love for 3-1 at the start of the third, which was ultimately good enough for the set, and another break came immediately in the fourth. Going into the decider, there was a sense of the inevitable about how this would end.

In consideration of what we have seen from Djokovic in his five matches here, the same could be said for the tournament.

Djokovic has not been able to add to his 20 major titles this year, but keeps his hopes alive

Djokovic has not been able to add to his 20 major titles this year, but keeps his hopes alive

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