Jannik Sinner has taken tennis by storm over the last two years, but for as great as he's been while rocketing to No. 1 in the world, there's still one very big box that remains unchecked on his resume: He's yet to win Wimbledon.
That might be about to change this weekend. It's taken perseverance through injury and more than a little bit of good fortune, but after dispatching American Ben Shelton with ease in their quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday, Sinner now finds himself back in the semifinals for the second straight year.
His opponent? None other than Novak Djokovic, seeking his record 25th major title and a whopping eighth win at the All England Club. This matchup has a little bit of everything: old vs. new, one ascending great desperate to finally scale the mountain and another looking to maintain his grip for just a little while longer. Before this showdown begins, let's take a look back at Sinner's history at Wimbledon so far.
Jannik Sinner's career record at Wimbledon
Sinner made his Wimbledon debut back in 2021, when he was a 19-year-old just making a name for himself on tour. He wound up being upset by Márton Fucsovics in the first round, but it wouldn't take long for the Italian to break through: Sinner reached the quarters in 2022, then the semis in 2023, where he was simply outclassed by Djokovic in straight sets.
Last year brought a bit of a setback, a quarterfinal upset in five sets at the hands of Daniil Medvedev. Sinner entered this year's tournament determined to rebound, especially after a gutting loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final earlier in the summer. And for the most part, he's done just that, sailing into the fourth round without dropping a set or seeming to break much of a sweat.
That very much changed in the round of 16, as Sinner appeared on the verge of crashing out once again after dropping the first two sets to Grigor Dimitrov. But Dimitrov was forced to retire after suffering a pec injury while on serve in the third, and Sinner has so far taken advantage of his good fortune, having very little trouble with Shelton in the quarters.
Overall, Sinner sits at 13-4 in his career at Wimbledon, which is, shockingly enough, his lowest win percentage at any grand slam.
What is Jannik Sinner's best finish at Wimbledon?
Sinner has already managed to equal his best finish, reaching the semifinals for the second time in three years. But after nearly winning at Roland Garros in May, Wimbledon remains the only slam in which he hasn't at least made a final. For that to change, he'll need to slay one of the sport's ultimate dragons in Djokovic.
On the one hand, you'd have to like Sinner's chances, given that he's the younger and, at this point in their respective careers, more athletic player. The 23-year-old combined incredible power with his typically breathtaking footwork and defense in his quarterfinal win over Shelton, and at first glance Djokovic wouldn't seem to be a natural fit for the slicing, serve-and-volley strategy that Dimitrov deployed in his near upset.
On the other hand ... I mean, this is Djokovic we're talking about. He remains one of the best players on the planet, and also one of the fittest despite turning 38 in May. He also has more experience on Centre Court than just about anyone alive, and Sinner will have to be at his best if he hopes to emerge victorious and finally fight his way through to the final Sunday.