Jannik Sinner joins Nadal in elite list after beating Djokovic in dramatic Wimbledon semis

Jannik Sinner, the World No 1, defeated Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semifinals on Friday, with a commanding 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory

Published on: Jul 12, 2025, 24:00:14 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Jannik Sinner, the World No 1, defeated Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semifinals on Friday, with a commanding 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory, securing his first Wimbledon final berth against Carlos Alcaraz. This win marks Sinner’s fifth consecutive victory over Djokovic, making him the second player, after Rafael Nadal, to achieve this feat against the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

Italy's Jannik Sinner waves to the audience as he leaves the court following his victory over Serbia's Novak Djokovic (AFP)

The Record: Players to Defeat Novak Djokovic Five Times in a Row

Rafael Nadal: Nadal, the only player to previously defeat Djokovic five consecutive times, achieved this from 2008 to 2009. The streak began with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 win at the 2008 Beijing Olympics semifinals, followed by four 2009 clay-court victories: Davis Cup (6-4, 6-4, 6-1), Monte Carlo final (6-3, 2-6, 6-1), Rome final (7-6, 6-2), and Madrid semifinal (3-6, 7-6, 7-6). The Spaniard also had four other streaks of three consecutive wins over Djokovic (2007, 2008, 2012, 2013).

Jannik Sinner: Sinner joined Nadal with his fifth straight win over Djokovic at Wimbledon 2025. His streak includes: 2023 Davis Cup semifinals (6-2, 2-6, 7-5), 2024 Australian Open semifinals (6-1, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3), 2024 Shanghai Masters final (7-6, 6-3), 2025 French Open semifinals (6-4, 7-5, 7-6), and 2025 Wimbledon semifinals (6-3, 6-3, 6-4). Sinner, the first player born after Djokovic (1987) to achieve this, has a 5-4 head-to-head lead.

Wimbledon Semifinal Breakdown

Jannik Sinner's 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win over Djokovic showcased his baseline dominance and serving prowess, dropping just one set in the tournament.

Despite the Serb's 2-0 Wimbledon record over Sinner (2022 quarters, 2023 semis), Sinner’s recent form gave him the edge.

"It's a tournament I always watched when I was young on the television and I would have never imagined that I can play here, you know in the finals, so it was amazing," said Sinner.

"From my side, I served very well today, I felt great on court, I was moving really well today.

"We saw in the third set that he was a bit injured. He's been in a very difficult situation but I tried to stay calm, to play the best tennis I can."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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