Jannik Sinner is determined to be in peak condition for his Wimbledon semi-final clash against Novak Djokovic on Friday, despite recently struggling with an elbow injury. The world number one injured himself during his fourth-round match against Grigor Dimitrov, slipping and falling in the opening game. After receiving a medical timeout and playing through visible discomfort, Sinner managed to advance when Dimitrov retired due to injury.
Following that match, the 23-year-old Italian took a cautious approach to recovery. He limited his training to a light 20-minute session on Tuesday and wore both strapping and a protective sleeve on his racquet arm during his quarter-final against Ben Shelton. Despite some signs of discomfort—most notably a grimace and a shake of the arm after returning one of Shelton’s powerful serves—Sinner delivered a convincing performance.
He admitted to playing with the help of painkillers to manage the discomfort but expressed confidence that the injury isn’t serious. With a day off scheduled for Thursday, Sinner is optimistic about his recovery and fully expects to be at 100% by the time he steps onto Centre Court.
“Returning big serves is always tough, but the pain is already improving,” he said. “It’s not something that worries me too much, and I’m using the time to rest and recover.”
In preparation for the match against Shelton, Sinner made a bold choice to switch to completely new shoes without any prior practice in them. The decision was driven by a need for extra grip to avoid another slip like the one that caused his injury. Though such a last-minute equipment change is unusual for him, Sinner emphasized that grip is crucial on grass, and he felt the switch was necessary for his safety.
Friday’s match will be the latest in a growing rivalry between Sinner and Djokovic. They’ve faced off twice before at Wimbledon—in the 2022 quarter-finals and 2023 semi-finals—with Djokovic emerging victorious both times. However, Sinner has recently had the upper hand in their encounters, winning their last four matches, including a victory in this year’s French Open semi-final.
Sinner acknowledged the challenge ahead, noting Djokovic’s experience and success at Wimbledon. Still, he remains focused and motivated to turn the tables at the All England Club.
On the other side of the net, Djokovic also enters the semi-final nursing a minor injury. During his quarter-final victory over fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli, the seven-time Wimbledon champion suffered an awkward fall while serving for the match in the fourth set. Though he briefly showed signs of discomfort, Djokovic quickly regained composure and closed out the win.
The incident raised some concerns, and Djokovic admitted that he would need the next 24 to 48 hours to assess the severity of the issue. He remains hopeful it won’t hinder his performance on Friday.
With a record 14 Wimbledon semi-final appearances and 52 Grand Slam semis under his belt, Djokovic is no stranger to high-stakes matches. Still, he recognized the threat posed by Sinner, stating that it will take his very best effort to come out on top.
“I’m just focused on recovery and preparing myself mentally and physically for what I know will be a very demanding match,” he said. “To beat Jannik now, I’ll need to give everything.”
