Novak Djokovic triumphed in the longest quarter-final in Wimbledon history, then confessed he needed to keep his on-court interview short because he had "no energy left." The tennis legend, 39, defied his years to overcome third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(10) 3-6 6-3 6-7 7-6(4) in a five-hour and 15-minute epic that concluded just before the 11pm curfew.
Djokovic's Children Refuse to Leave
Djokovic's two children, Stefan, 11, and Tara, eight, remained in his box throughout the entire match. The No. 7 seed disclosed that he instructed them to go to bed halfway through the contest, though they refused to comply. "I was telling the kids to go to sleep after the fourth but they didn't want to listen, and I'm glad they stayed because it was honestly one of the best matches I was part of, on this court, in my career," Djokovic said.
Emotional Victory Celebration
The seven-time former champion at SW19 strode into the centre of the court and raised his arms aloft after securing victory beneath the lights and roof of Centre Court. He savoured the applause before approaching the microphone to speak with Rishi Persad. When asked how he'd managed to prevail in the rollercoaster encounter, Djokovic responded: "With racket and a lot of heart. You know, a lot of... I guess, management of the nerves and the extreme tension that you feel in this kind of matches."
Match of a Lifetime
Djokovic added: "Towards the end, really anybody's game. I think the scoreline was pretty much even all the way through. I mean, that's kind of a reality image or presentation of this kind of match today. I think it was really anybody's game in the super tiebreak in the fifth. What can I say? I mean, these are the kinds of moments that I still play tennis for, for sure. I wish it was finals, you know, so I don't need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow! But yeah, I'm happy. I'm happy that I won."
Interview Cut Short
After another round of applause, the 39-year-old appeared to lose focus and requested to wrap up the interview swiftly. "What was your question? Sorry, I really have... Let's keep it short, because I have no energy left, my friend," he added. The Serb was reminded of his remarkable statistics — 15 Wimbledon semi-finals, eight consecutive appearances at this stage, and a 55th Major semi. Yet he played them down. "That's great, but it's just another semi-final for me," Djokovic stated, fully aware of the test awaiting him in reigning champion Jannik Sinner. "I'm going to look at all the numbers and things when I finish my career. Right now, it's all business. I still have to recover, I'm still in the tournament, and I have the best player in the world in a few days' time. Thank you."
