Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner will renew their rivalry on Centre Court on Friday afternoon in the Wimbledon semi-finals, marking the third time in four years the two have clashed at this stage. The winner earns a spot in Sunday's final.
Rivalry Reignited at SW19
The world No. 1 and world No. 8 have each won one of their previous two Wimbledon semi-final meetings. Together with Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner and Djokovic have dominated men's tennis, winning 15 consecutive Grand Slam titles before Alexander Zverev broke the streak at last month's French Open.
Defending champion Sinner has not dropped a set since a first-round wobble against Miomir Kecmanovic. Djokovic, at 39, continues to defy age as he chases a record 26th Grand Slam title. He battled past No. 3 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in a five-set quarter-final that ended just before the 11pm curfew on Tuesday.
Djokovic Addresses 'Skiing' Comment Controversy
Despite their on-court intensity, Djokovic and Sinner have maintained a warm relationship. However, last year a comment by Djokovic sparked speculation of a rift. In a GQ Magazine interview, Djokovic was asked to describe his rivals in one word. He called Rafael Nadal "tenacity," Roger Federer "elegance," and Alcaraz "charisma." For Sinner, he said "skiing."
Some fans interpreted the remark as a slight, but Djokovic clarified during a press conference ahead of the Australian Open. "Yes, I've seen it on social media that it's being made into some kind of drama or story, like I humiliated him or I've intentionally shown disrespect towards him," he said. "That's ridiculous. It was one of those quiz-type interviews where you have to think of something in a second."
Djokovic explained that the word came to mind because he had seen Sinner skiing and they often talk about skiing together. "Sinner's name came up and I had this image in my head of him skiing. I saw he was skiing somewhere. Also, the two of us talk about skiing always, how we're going to ski together, et cetera. That's why I said 'skiing', not because I don't respect his achievements in tennis, on the contrary."
Head-to-Head Advantage
Sinner leads their overall head-to-head 6-5 since their first meeting at the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters. However, Djokovic won their most recent encounter, a gripping semi-final at the 2026 Australian Open.
