2 sets down, Djokovic wins 26th consecutive Wimbledon match
WIMBLEDON, England — It says a lot about Novak Djokovic that a two-sets-tonone hole at Wimbledon on a day he was hardly at his best never seemed insurmountable. Not to him. Not to anyone watching.
Says a lot about his history of overcoming that sort of deficit. A lot about his ability to adjust, to adapt and to right himself. A lot about his preeminence at the All England Club in recent years.
Djokovic spotted 10thseeded Jannik Sinner of Italy the huge lead Tuesday, then worked his way back to win 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 at Centre Court, earning an 11th semifinal berth at Wimbledon with his 26th consecutive victory at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.
“I always believed,” said Djokovic, who faces ninthseeded Cam Norrie of Britain next, “that I could turn the match around.”
Among men, only Roger Federer has made more semifinal appearances at Wimbledon with 13 and won more championships (eight) than the seven Djokovic could reach by lifting the trophy Sunday for what would be a fourth year in a row.
“He makes you play differently — well, not differently, but in a way that he likes,” Sinner said.
Djokovic was responsible for just one of Wednesday’s comebacks: In all four singles quarterfinals on a sunny day, the player who dropped the first set ended up victorious. Norrie edged David Goffin of Belgium 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5; No. 3 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia beat Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic 3-6, 6-1, 6-1; Tatjana Maria defeated Jule Niemeier 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in an all-german matchup.
Norrie, Jabeur and Maria all earned the right to make their debuts in a Grand Slam semifinal.
“Can’t enjoy it too much now,” said Norrie, 26, who was born in South Africa to British parents, grew up in New Zealand and played college tennis at Texas Christian University. “Just get ready for Novak in a couple days.”
The 103rd-ranked Maria is, at 34, the oldest firsttime women’s semifinalist at a major and only the sixth woman at least that old to get this far at Wimbledon in the professional era, which began in 1968. The others? Quite a list: Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Serena Williams and Venus Williams.
“I always believed that I have something inside,” said Maria, who only once before reached as far as the third round. “That I can do this.”
Djokovic, a 35-year-old from Serbia, managed his seventh career comeback in a match in which he trailed by two sets — he last did it in the 2021 French Open final against Stefanos Tsitsipas — and improved to 37-10 in fivesetters. That includes a 10-1 mark in matches that go the distance at Wimbledon, including nine straight victories; the lone loss came in 2006.
“He’s been in this situation many times,” the 20year-old Sinner said. “That definitely helps.”
Tuesday’s match brought Sinner’s major quarterfinal appearance total to three, which is exactly 50 fewer than Djokovic’s.