Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic are headed for a seismic semifinal clash at Wimbledon, where the world No. 1 Italian and the seven-time champion Serbian will meet on Friday.
At the same time, the women’s draw promises intrigue as Iga Swiatek and Belinda Bencic prepare to square off for a place in the final.
Sinner, 23, has stormed into his second consecutive Wimbledon semifinal, riding a wave of form and growing belief.
He swept past American Ben Shelton in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5, despite carrying an elbow injury sustained during a harrowing fourth-round battle with Grigor Dimitrov.
That match had seen Sinner fall awkwardly in the first game and require a medical timeout.
Down two sets, he clawed back before Dimitrov was forced to retire due to his own injury.
Against Shelton, Sinner wore a sleeve and strapping on his racquet arm, playing through discomfort and relying on painkillers to stay sharp.
He also switched to new shoes designed for extra grip on the slick grass, a tactical adjustment after slipping earlier in the tournament.
Speaking to BBC Sport after the match, he said, “The pain is getting better. I played today with some painkillers which helped me to get through. I played with completely new shoes to have more grip.”
Now comes the real test. While Sinner has won his last four matches against Djokovic – including a straight-sets triumph in the French Open semifinals just weeks ago – he has yet to beat the Serbian on Wimbledon’s grass.
“I’ve never won against him here in Wimbledon, so it’s going to be a very, very tough challenge,” Sinner said.
On the other side of the net, Djokovic continues to defy age and expectation.
At 38, the Serbian advanced to his 14th Wimbledon semifinal, breaking Roger Federer’s record for most appearances at this stage of the tournament.
His four-set win over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli wasn’t without drama; leading 5-4 in the fourth set, Djokovic slipped awkwardly while serving for the match, prompting concerns over his physical condition.
“There is a concern, but we’ll see in the next 24 to 48 hours,” Djokovic told BBC Sport. “It was an awkward, nasty fall.” Still, he closed out the match and extended his all-time record to 52 Grand Slam semifinal appearances. He knows what lies ahead. “It’s going to take the best of me at the moment to beat Jannik,” he said, emphasizing the physical demands he expects from the upcoming duel.
Their head-to-head is rich with storylines.
While Djokovic holds two previous Wimbledon victories over Sinner – in the 2022 quarterfinals and the 2023 semifinals – the Italian has turned the tide in recent meetings.
The contrast in styles is sharp: Sinner’s aggressive baseline game and flat, powerful groundstrokes against Djokovic’s unmatched court sense and shot variation.
Both come into the match nursing injuries, adding an unpredictable layer to an already heavyweight encounter.
As the men’s semifinal draws most of the spotlight, the women’s competition is building its own compelling narrative.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek reached the semifinals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Liudmila Samsonova, while Olympic champion Belinda Bencic eased past 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-2, 6-2. Swiatek, long dominant on clay and hard courts, is now chasing her first Wimbledon title, the final piece in her surface sweep.
Bencic, meanwhile, has rediscovered her rhythm on grass, using her all-court game and steady mentality to navigate a tough draw.
Their semifinal presents an intriguing contrast.
Swiatek’s heavy topspin and relentless baseline pressure will face a stern test against Bencic’s adaptability, clean timing, and grass-court intelligence. Both players have looked composed, clinical, and confident heading into this stage.
At this point in the tournament, everything sharpens – movement, mind, margins.
Sinner is aiming to announce himself as the new face of men’s tennis. Djokovic is fighting to extend his reign and add a 25th Grand Slam title to a record-smashing career.
Swiatek seeks to expand her dominance across surfaces, while Bencic is bidding for a breakthrough on the sport’s biggest stage.
