Novak Djokovic beats Felix Auger-Aliassime to reach Wimbledon semi-finals

Novak Djokovic beats Felix Auger-Aliassime to reach Wimbledon semi-finals

Novak Djokovic reached his 55th career Grand Slam semi-final after defeating third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in a five-set marathon. The match, which lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes, was the longest match of Djokovic's career at the All England Club.

The seven-time champion prevailed 7-6 (12-10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (10-4). The victory extends his streak of eight consecutive Wimbledon semi-finals, a new record that surpasses Roger Federer.

At 39 years and 38 days, Djokovic is now the second-oldest player in the Open era to reach a Wimbledon men's singles semi-final, trailing only Ken Rosewall, who was 39 years and 234 days in 1974.

A test of durability

In the first set, Djokovic suffered a leg injury, prompting a medical time-out and a massage. Despite the discomfort, he survived a tie-break, winning it 12-10.

Auger-Aliassime leveled the match in the second set, taking a 6-3 win fueled by a Djokovic double fault on break point. Following this, the Centre Court roof was closed at 7.42pm. Djokovic argued that the tournament was an outdoor event and claimed officials were not sticking to their own rules.

Djokovic regained momentum in the third set, eventually converting his ninth break point to lead 4-2 before taking the set 6-3.

The final set remained on serve through 12 games, leading to a championship tie-break. Djokovic asserted dominance early, pointing to his ear to incite the crowd as he raced to a lead he would not relinquish, eventually winning 10-4.

Post-match reflections

After the victory, Djokovic celebrated with a dance for his daughter. When asked about the win, he stated:

"I won that match with a racquet and a lot of heart. What can I say? These are the kind of moments I still play tennis for. I wish it was the final so I don't need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow, but I'm happy that I won."

Novak Djokovic, player, via BBC

Djokovic also dismissed the significance of his milestones during his interview, noting that he will look at the numbers once he finishes his career and that right now it's all business.

Path to the record

The victory brings Djokovic closer to several historic marks. He is currently tied with Margaret Court at 24 Grand Slam singles titles; a victory in the final would give him a standalone record of 25.

He will face world No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals this Friday. Sinner reached the final four after defeating Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets. The pair meet for the 12th time in their careers. While Sinner leads the head-to-head 6-5 and won their previous Wimbledon semi-final encounter, Djokovic beat the Italian in five sets at the Australian Open earlier this year.

Other results and upcoming fixtures

In the women's draw, Coco Gauff reached her first Wimbledon semi-final by defeating Jessica Pegula in three sets. She will face Karolína Muchová, who beat Naomi Osaka in straight sets.

Further quarter-final action continues, featuring:

• Women's: Linda Nosková vs. Elise Mertens and Marta Kostyuk vs. Jasmine Paolini.
• Men's: British wild card Arthur Fery vs. Flavio Cobolli and Alexander Zverev vs. Taylor Fritz.