Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner are set to clash in the Wimbledon semifinals, marking their sixth encounter at this stage of a Grand Slam tournament. Sinner has emerged victorious in three of their previous five semifinal meetings, and holds a 6-5 overall record against Djokovic. However, the Serbian secured the most recent victory between them at the Australian Open.
Despite Sinner's overall edge in past meetings, betting markets favor him heavily, listing him as a -465 favorite over Djokovic on FanDuel Sportsbook. This pricing suggests a strong expectation of a Sinner victory, independent of their recent Australian Open result.
Neither player has navigated the tournament with unblemished dominance. Sinner's Wimbledon campaign began with a five-set match against Miomir Kecmanovic, followed by a tough second-round encounter involving tiebreakers against Nuno Borges. While he has not dropped a set since, some of his seemingly routine wins, such as his straight-set victory over Jan-Lennard Struff, were closer than the scoreline indicated.
Djokovic's path to the semifinals has also been a hard-fought one. The 24-time Grand Slam champion has managed only one straight-set win. His quarterfinal match against Felix Auger-Aliassime, a five-hour and 14-minute epic that Djokovic won 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, was the longest quarterfinal in Wimbledon history. Despite the grueling match, Djokovic benefits from two full days of rest before the semifinal.
Given that both players have faced significant challenges during the tournament, a competitive match is anticipated. The outcome could mirror their recent five-set encounter in Melbourne, where Djokovic ultimately prevailed. One betting prediction suggests Djokovic winning in five sets with odds of 10/1.