From boss to Superman: Djokovic made it to the Wimbledon semifinals and stretched an impressive streak

Novak Djokovic walked the ledge. He was one step away from saying goodbye to Wimbledon in the quarter-finals and adding a new disappointment to a year that has been a nightmare for him. But when on the Central Court of the All of England the aroma of a bump was beginning to be felt, after the Italian Sinner Jannik will take a 2-0 lead in sets, freight he pressed the accelerator and completed a historic comeback. After suffering and struggling for three hours and 35 minutesthe favorite to win his four-time Scudetto has won 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 and 6-2 and reached the semifinals of the English Grand Slam for the eleventh time and for the fourth edition consecutive.

The former world number one, who won in 2018, 2019 and 2021 (he was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic), added his 84th win at Wimbledon, where does not lose from the quarter-finals of the 2017 edition. In the middle, He left an unforgettable passage where he flew like Superman on the London lawn.

It was the third time in his career that he managed to overturn a match in this tournament after giving up the first two sets. The first was in the second round of 2005, the year of his debut in the competition, when, being 128th in the standings, he won 3-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6. (7-3) and 6-4 to the Spaniard William Garcia Lopez (81 °), before saying goodbye in the next instance. The second, in the round of 16 of 2015, in a match that won 6-7 (6-8), 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-4 and 7-5 against the South African Kevin Anderson (14 °). Already at the top of the standings, Nole ended up winning her third title later.

The match against Sinner promised to be a difficult match for the Serbian. The Italian, 20 years old and 13th in the standings, is one of the jewels of the new generation and has dangerous tennis and a mindset strange for his age and lack of professional experience. On his second appearance in the main draw of the tournament (he had lost in the first round last year), he did not hold back in front of one of the best in history and in one of the most legendary stages in world tennis; Y put Djokovic in check.

The Serbian had an overwhelming start: 4-1, with a break in the second game. But in the sixth game the young red woke up and from then on he began to dominate against a rival who, unable to impose his game, he lost focus and started making more mistakes than usual.

Sinner, who had just dropped Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, fifth favorite, saw his chance and didn’t hesitate. He took the first set in 57 minutes and then also the second, in which he played intense and aggressive tennis and was able to read Djokovic’s intentions on service very well.

“I think there have been two different games. He was the best in the first two sets, without a doubt.”recognized Nole, now third in the world ranking. “After losing his serve for the first time in the seventh game, the inertia of the match turned in his favor. I started doubting my shots and he started believing in himself. On the pitch he had a better mentality, confidence to come in and dictate the game. I couldn’t stay in the rallies, I was very passive and I missed a lot. I wasn’t even serving well. Throughout the second set he was reading and attacking my serves. I was in defensive mode. There weren’t many things. positive to say. Those to grab me “.

The Serbian told how he turned the story upside down. “Before the third set, I took a bathroom break and gave myself a little pep talk in front of the mirror. It works like this and encourages you to try and find the good and right things. You tell them to cheer you up. somehow. It doesn’t always work, it’s not a guarantee, but I felt I had to try to change something. “.

This time it worked. Djokovic came out on the pitch with a different attitude and clear ideas. In the fourth game of the third set, he got a break, which allowed him to take a 3-1 lead. It was the last confidence boost I needed to be determined to make a comeback.

From that moment on, as the Serbian gained confidence, his rival was filled with more and more doubts. And with more than 15 years of shooting at this level of tournaments, Nole knew what the Italian couldn’t do when he had two set ups: handle the pressure of the moment, keep a cool mind and seal the win.

“I always believed I could come from behind. I know I have some experience that can help me to prevail in these situations. I didn’t have any physical problems or anything like that, it was about changing the positive inertia in my favor. I felt that the ‘start of the third set was crucial, he needed to break the serve early and start well. And that’s what happened. “commented, that he will now face the British cameron norrie9th favorite and winner 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 and 7-5 of the Belgian David Goffin.

freight He took another step towards his seventh title in the tournament and 21st in a major, which would allow him to approach the record held today by Rafael Nadal, holder of 22 “majors”. A title that would also allow him to smile at a complicated 2022, in which he was expelled from Australia for refusing to be vaccinated, a position that also prevented him from playing in Indian Wells and Miami and, almost certainly, will not let him appear. at the US Open; he could not repeat the title at Roland Garros; and he gave up on number one (on Monday he will drop to seventh place) after seeing how many points are gone. Those special circumstances, however, didn’t change the way he approached Wimbledon.

“I wouldn’t say I have any special motivation. I always feel very motivated to show my best tennis at the Grand Slams, especially here, which is probably the most important tournament in the history of our sport. My childhood dream was to be here. Every time I go out on the pitch I feel compelled to give everything, also motivated by the enclave of this field and this tournament “he reflected.