Wimbledon: Djokovic compares marathon quarter-final win to iconic 2019 final against Federer

Novak Djokovic has compared his record-breaking Wimbledon quarter-final win over Felix Auger-Aliassim to a memorable 2019 final against Roger Federer, describing Tuesday’s five-hour-and-15-minute thriller as one of the best matches he has played at the All England Club.

The seven-time champion won 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (10-4) in the longest quarter-final in Wimbledon historythus extending his record to 15th semi-final at the championship.

Reflecting on the marathon match, Djokovic said only one other Wimbledon match had come close in terms of drama and duration, recalling his epic victory over Federer in 2019 when he saved two championship points before winning in a historic fifth-set tie-break.

“It’s exciting to be a part of such a spectacular match that was played for over five hours,” Djokovic said after the win.

“Just one of the best matches I’ve been in at Wimbledon to be honest. I can’t remember playing a match this long. Maybe Roger’s final in 2019 is close to that in terms of time and length.

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“But it was really super close. Anyone’s game. Felix played at a really high level. He dropped a little bit in that super tie-break. I took all my opportunities and hung in there, hit the right shots. That was enough.”

The momentum shifted repeatedly before Djokovic held his nerve in the tie-break decider to wrap up victory just six minutes before Wimbledon’s 11 p.m. Center Court gave both players a standing ovation after a match that will likely go down as one of the tournament’s modern classics.

“The crowd was on their feet, especially the last 30 minutes of the match,” Djokovic said.

“They also realized how special the moment is when we’re fighting curfew a few minutes earlier than 11. I’m just very proud to come out victorious.”

The win also underscored Djokovic’s continued ability to compete with the sport’s younger generation. At 39, the Serb said beating players 15 years his junior still gives him satisfaction, even if his own expectations have never diminished.

“At this stage, I’m still able to fight these young guys who are 15 years younger than me, that I’m able to beat them in the closest possible score. Of course, in a sense, it’s a really pleasant surprise,” he said.

“However, at the same time, I always have the highest expectations of myself. I can be very self-critical, very hard on myself. At the same time, I try to enjoy such moments as well.”

Djokovic will face world number one and defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals. The Serb beat Sinner in the semi-finals of the Australian Open earlier this year, although the Italian leads their head-to-head 6-5 and beat Djokovic at the same stage at Wimbledon last year.

Looking ahead to another meeting with Sinner, Djokovic said his recent run had strengthened his belief that he is still capable of competing with and beating the world’s best players.

“I had a very long semi-final against Sinner in Australia. These are the quarters. Now I have to play Sinner in the semi-finals,” Djokovic said.

“It’s a little different now. But it’s still another great, historic Grand Slam run for me. That’s what counts the most, honestly. I’m still trying to prove to myself and others that I can compete with the best players in the world and beat them on the biggest stage. I did it in Australia. I did it here.”

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

08 Jul 2026 06:47 IST