Novak Djokovic advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals on Tuesday after a grueling five-hour, 15-minute quarterfinal match against Felix Auger-Aliassime. The seven-time champion secured his spot by winning the final set tiebreaker 7-6 (4), just before the All England Club's 11 p.m. curfew.
Djokovic's victory sets up a semifinal clash with defending champion Jannik Sinner. The match concluded after Auger-Aliassime's forehand sailed wide, giving Djokovic the crucial lead in the deciding tiebreaker. Djokovic then sealed the win on his first match point.
"These are the kind of moments that I still play tennis for," Djokovic said after the match. He celebrated by raising his arms and performing a celebratory dance, noting it was moves his daughter tries to teach him.
Djokovic continues to extend his record of consecutive appearances in the Wimbledon final four, reaching his eighth in a row, surpassing Roger Federer's previous record. Sinner advanced to the semifinals by defeating Jan-Lennard Struff.
Djokovic and Sinner have a history in the Wimbledon semifinals, with Sinner defeating Djokovic in straight sets last year. However, Djokovic outlasted the Italian in a five-set match in the Australian Open semifinals earlier this year. "I wish it was finals, so I don't need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow," Djokovic commented on the physical toll of his quarterfinal win.
During the match, Djokovic appeared to deal with a lower-leg issue in the first set. He received treatment from a trainer and took a medical timeout, during which his left ankle and calf were assessed and his calf was massaged. He continued to stretch his leg throughout the remainder of the match, particularly in the demanding fifth set.
Djokovic also voiced his objection to the decision to close the Centre Court roof after Auger-Aliassime won the second set. Djokovic argued that there was still enough daylight to continue playing outdoors, questioning the consistency of the tournament's rules regarding roof closures. He stated, "We can play a whole another set outdoors. We're an outdoor tournament."