Jannik Sinner’s rise to the top of men’s tennis has reached another milestone. With his straight-sets victory over Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of Wimbledon 2025, the Italian star has now defeated the 24-time Grand Slam champion five consecutive times.
Following his win on Centre Court, Sinner was asked how he had managed to turn around what was once a bit of one-sided oncourt rivarly. The 22-year-old offered thoughtful insight into the learning curve that comes with facing one of the sport’s greatest competitors.
“I started to play with Novak when I was very young. You try to gain this experience and learning process… because what you can learn in matches, you cannot produce it in practice sessions,”
Jannik Sinner further explained. “For me every match against him, and not only against him — there have been other players I struggled with a lot in the early stages of my career — you always try to learn what they are doing well and where they might struggle.”
While Jannik Sinner acknowledged that identifying weaknesses in Djokovic’s game is no easy task, he pointed to his improved physical conditioning as a key factor in his recent success.
“Obviously, with Novak Djokovic, it’s very difficult to find things where he struggles. Of course, getting better physically helped a lot. It means you don’t rush to go out of a longer rally. I feel like now that I feel much more comfortable in that… generally not rushing so much.”
Sinner also admitted that nerves are still a factor whenever he steps onto the court with Djokovic. However, those nerves are part of what makes the experience so rewarding.
“At the same time, it’s very, very difficult playing against Novak. You feel the nerves before going to the match, and today it was the same,” he said. “But yeah, also I enjoy these moments because they are very special.”
Sinner’s evolution has been nothing short of remarkable. And his five-match winning streak over Djokovic is just the latest proof that he belongs at the very top of the game. Next up is a Wimbledon showdown against Carlos Alcaraz, with the tennis world watching the new era unfold in real time.