Novak Djokovic went up against one of the sport's most powerful young players Friday and fell to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinal round Friday. The 38-year-old Djokovic was hoping to get a chance to compete against superstar Carlos Alcaraz in the championship Sunday, but Sinner dominated in a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 triumph.
Djokovic says he gives a slight edge to Carlos Alcaraz in the final against Jannik Sinner, but expects a close match like the Roland Garros final
“Who do you think is going to win?”
Novak: “I think I will give a slight edge to Carlos as a favorite because of the two titles he’s… pic.twitter.com/8mcFLhsLJ8
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 11, 2025
Alcaraz was victorious in his semifinal round battle with American Taylor Fritz. Alcaraz was able to pull out a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) triumph. Sinner, the top seed in the tournament, will meet Alcaraz for the title. Alcaraz is the two-time defending Wimbledon championship.
Djokovic has won a record 24 Grand Slam events in his career, and while he has seen top rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal step away from the game and retire, he is not ready to announce his retirement. He was clearly disappointed at losing to Sinner, but he was able to provide his analysis and prediction as to the outcome of the Alcaraz-Sinner final.
“I think I will give a slight edge to Carlos as a favorite because of the two titles he’s won here and the way he’s playing and the confidence he has right now. But it’s just a slight advantage. Because Jannik is hitting the ball extremely well. I think it’s going to be again a very close matchup like we had in Paris.”
Djokovic still prepares hard and looks forward to Grand Slam events
While he fell to Sinner in straight sets, Novak Djokovic believes that he still has the skill to compete well in major events. He thinks coming up with a win one of them is still within the realm of possibility.
It's what motivates him to keep on playing. “I've put everything I possibly can when it comes to training and preparing myself so I can play my best at Grand Slams,” Djokovic said. “I think, regardless of the fact that I haven't won a Grand Slam this year, or last year, I still feel like I continue to play my best tennis at Grand Slams. Those are the tournaments that I care about at this stage of my career the most.”
The championship match between Sinner, 23, and Alcaraz, 22, appears to be the new rivalry in men's tennis. Djokovic had Federer and Nadal to compete against throughout the majority of his career and Great Britain's Andy Murray was a major threat earlier in Djokovic's run. While other players could emerge, Sinner and Alcaraz appear to be at the top of the class.
Alcaraz and Sinner met in the French Open final last month and Alcaraz came away with the narrow five-set victory.
