Jannik Sinner destroyed Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semifinals in ruthless revenge

Jannik Sinner ruthlessly avenged his Australian Open woes by dismantling Novak Djokovic in straight sets to storm into Friday’s Wimbledon 2026 final.

The world number one destroyed the 24-time Grand Slam champion 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in just two hours and 20 minutes, leaving Djokovic with no sniff on Center Court. The victory was payback for Sinner’s painful defeat to the Serb in the Australian Open semi-finals earlier this year, where Djokovic came back from two sets to one to win a five-set classic.

There was no miraculous comeback this time.

Sinner went to center court with a different conviction. His serve was untouchable, his strokes cleaner and his movement sharper, putting Djokovic on the back foot in the first game. Every time the seven-time Wimbledon champion tried to regain control of the rally, Sinner simply found another gear and overwhelmed the 39-year-old with relentless pace and precision. Photo: Reuters

The Italian’s delivery was practically flawless. Sinner fired 16 aces, won all but six points on his first serve and didn’t face a single break point for nearly two hours. Although Djokovic eventually earned one, Sinner erased it with a thunderous ace.

The first crack came in the opening set when Sinner ripped a backhand winner down the line to break Djokovic in the ninth game before serving out the set with authority.

The pattern was repeated in the second. Djokovic hung in the match at 3-3 but Sinner produced a stunning drop shot to force another break before calmly moving two sets ahead.

Any hopes of another breakaway from Djokovic were dashed at the start of the third set. Sinner grabbed an early break and never looked back, keeping the pressure on with a brutal baseline drive while Djokovic wore the look of a man who knew the match was gone.

It was one of Sinner’s most complete performances at Wimbledon, the victory sending him to his seventh Grand Slam final and another shot at the Venus Rosewater Dish. He will face Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s championship match.

“It’s the most special tournament we have and it means a lot to me to play against Novak,” Sinner said after the match.

“He’s still a real inspiration not only to you but to a new generation, what he’s doing is incredible.”

Djokovic admitted that Sinner was simply too good.

“He’s been playing so solidly, his serve is now an incredible weapon.”

“He was cruising and I couldn’t catch him.

The defeat is another severe blow to Djokovic’s pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title. It was his fifth loss in his last six Grand Slam semi-finals and another opportunity has slipped away as the clock continues to tick down on one of tennis’ greatest careers.

Meanwhile, Sinner heads into Sunday’s final full of confidence after producing arguably the most dominant performance of this year’s championship. After crashing out with Djokovic in Melbourne, the Italian made sure there was no repeat at Wimbledon and exacted a ruthless revenge when it mattered most.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

Jul 11, 2026 0:54 AM IST