Fitness concerns remain before Djokovic-Sinner semi-final

Wimbledon 2025

Venue: All England Club Dates: 30 June-13 July

The prospect of watching of 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic take on world number one Jannik Sinner for a place in the Wimbledon final is a mouth-watering one, but fitness concerns remain before Friday’s match.

Djokovic, 38, fell awkwardly late on in his quarter-final against Flavio Cobolli, but picked himself up to wrap up victory and progress.

Sinner, meanwhile, hurt his right elbow after slipping in the first game of his fourth-round tie with Grigor Dimitrov on Monday.

The Italian ultimately progressed after his opponent retired through injury, but he had heavy strapping on his elbow in his quarter-final win over Ben Shelton.

Sinner said he would be “100% fit” to face Djokovic, but the Serb has not been quite so definitive and cancelled a scheduled practice session on Thursday.

Sinner cancelled a scheduled session on Tuesday, heading indoors for some light hitting while he awaited the results of a scan.

Djokovic reached the semi-finals of this year’s Australian Open but had to retire after the first set against Alexander Zverev, having injured his leg in the previous round.

Given his age, Djokovic accepts he has to work harder than 23-year-old Sinner or 22-year-old Wimbledon defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to keep up with them physically.

“Sometimes I get tired of all the chores I have to do on a daily basis to get my body ready to be able to perform,” he said.

“It’s a lot of hours spent off the court, in the gym or on the table just trying to work with what I have.

Sinner, who is bidding to reach his first Wimbledon final, did take part in his scheduled practice session on Thursday but seemed in no discomfort as he laughed and joked with his team.

Alcaraz will face Taylor Fritz in the first men’s semi-final on Friday – but the American too had to take a medical timeout in his quarter-final win over Karen Khachanov.

Fifth seed Fritz had treatment on his feet – and concerns were heightened by the fact he had just lost the third set 6-1 after controlling the first two.

But Fritz, through to the last four at SW19 for the first time, allayed those fears after his victory, saying he just needed taping on his foot redone.

“It’s pretty common – a lot of players do this tape job so your foot doesn’t get irritated,” he said.

“I think I ripped it off at some point in the second so I just needed to get it redone.”

The only person who got through the quarter-finals without a hint of an injury was world number two Alcaraz.