Djokovic’s Wimbledon aspirations dashed by unstoppable Sinner
Novak Djokovic’s hopes of conquering his eighth Wimbledon title and his 25th Grand Slam vanished on Friday. World number one, Jannik Sinner, demonstrated his superiority in the semifinals, surpassing Djokovic with a score of 6-3, 6-3 and 6-4.
Djokovic, visibly affected in his mobility after a fall in the previous round, could not cope with Sinner’s game, who has won his last five matches against the Serbian tennis player.Time is not on your side.
Djokovic, at 38 years old, has defied the limits of the human body for years. However, it has been two years since his last Grand Slam victory, when he won the US Open for the fourth time in his career. Ken Rosewall remains the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title, at 37 years old. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were 36 years old when they triumphed at the US Open.
Sinner and Alcaraz are taking tennis to another level.
The men’s tennis is being blessed with two players who could dominate the sport for many years. Sinner has already won four Grand Slam titles and Alcaraz has five to his name. Their power is unmatched, their movement unparalleled, and their drive is as high as it was for Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic in their prime.
Perhaps the biggest problem for Djokovic is that, to win another major, he not only has to defy the passage of time, but he also has to beat at least one and probably both.Injuries are starting to take their toll.
In the Australian Open, a hamstring tear ended his hopes of reaching the final. Djokovic retired after one set against Alexander Zverev. In the French Open, after losing a tight three-set match against Sinner, he revealed that he had been suffering from a muscle injury. Then, at Wimbledon against Sinner again, his movement was clearly affected, as a consequence of a strained muscle and a fall on his hip in the previous round.
Trying to win seven matches, in the best of five sets, is a difficult task in the best of cases, but at 38 years old, it is increasingly difficult to be pain-free, injury-free long enough to have the opportunity to get another title.
However, don’t rule it out.
Nothing inspires Djokovic more than being told he can’t do something, so anyone who definitively says he’s won his last major is a fool, at best. Time and again, he has achieved incredible feats when the odds are against him and he loves being written off, like all great champions.
The US Open and the Australian Open are good surfaces for his game, of course, and if things go well for him in the draw, he will believe he has one more in him. Clay would be more difficult, in theory, but grass is always a good opportunity for him, if his body cooperates. One thing is for sure, if he has another chance, in another final, he will give it his all.
