WIMBLEDON – Men’s Singles
Novak Djokovic continues to rewrite tennis history. The Serbian champion overcame a surprising start from Italy’s Flavio Cobolli to win 6-7, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 and book his place in the Wimbledon 2025 semifinals. With this victory, Djokovic has now reached 14 semifinals at the All England Club, surpassing the legendary Roger Federer, who held the previous men’s record with 13.
Cobolli, playing the biggest match of his career, stunned Centre Court by snatching the opening set. But as often happens, Djokovic raised his level, displaying his trademark precision, resilience, and unmatched experience on grass. Once the Serbian found his rhythm, the match began to shift, and his dominance became clear.
This achievement is yet another milestone in Djokovic’s extraordinary career, particularly at Wimbledon, where he has already won seven singles titles (2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022). His mastery on the grass courts of London has long been a defining part of his legacy, and at 38, he shows no signs of slowing down.
On Friday, Djokovic will face another Italian, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who earlier defeated American Ben Shelton (No. 10 seed) in straight sets: 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 6-4. Sinner, who had been dealing with a sore right elbow, showed no signs of discomfort and appeared in complete control.
After the match, Sinner reflected on the magnitude of the moment:
“I think I played really well. I’m very proud of my attitude on court. It wasn’t easy playing on Centre Court for the first time. I was very nervous. It looked much bigger than I expected. It happened to me in other Grand Slam tournaments too — from the inside, it feels enormous. I got a little scared,” he admitted in the press conference.
Sinner also acknowledged the importance of winning the intense opening set, which lasted over an hour:
“I don’t think I’ve ever played like that in my life during a first set. I gave everything I had out there. I’m happy with my tournament and my level, but also a little sad because I felt I deserved a fifth set. It’s been a very positive tournament. Now it’s time to recover for the American summer hard-court swing.”