LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic didn't dwell on Centre Court after getting dominated by Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals.
The 39-year-old Djokovic enjoyed a warm, smile-filled embrace with his 24-year-old opponent at the net after the 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 defeat Friday, quickly packed up his tennis bags and then waved to the boisterous crowd as he held one hand to his chest to show his appreciation as he walked off.
Will the seven-time Wimbledon champion ever be back to play on these hallowed lawns again?
Only time — something that Djokovic is running out of — will tell.
It's been nearly three years since Djokovic won his record-extending 24th Grand Slam singles title at the 2023 U.S. Open. And despite reaching the semifinals at all four Grand Slams last year and reaching a final and another semi in two of three Slams this year — he acknowledges that's not enough.
“For 99% of the players, that would be a very good Grand Slam result,” Djokovic said. “For me, it’s good but not good enough, because I’m blessed and cursed to be used to something of a highest degree in terms of results and achievements.
“I always have the highest expectations for myself," Djokovic added. "So it’s kind of that internal battle really of what I’ve been through for the 20-plus years of my career, what the goals were always, the expectations, and trying to balance it out and really be a little more humble in that sense.”
Still, Djokovic expressed interest in playing Wimbledon when he’s 40: “I would like to, at least one more time,” he said.
“I feel when I’m healthy," Djokovic added, “I’m still able to play as a top-five player, still able to compete at the highest level.”
For Sinner, it was a measure of revenge after Djokovic won their last meeting in five sets in this year’s Australian Open semifinals.
“Playing against Novak,” Sinner said, “what he’s still showing is true inspiration.”
Aiming to defend his title at the grass-court Grand Slam, the top-ranked Sinner will face second-seeded Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final.
Zverev ended the “Ferytale” run of British wild card Arthur Fery with an overpowering 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-4 victory earlier as the star-studded crowd on Centre Court witnessed two one-way contests.
Zverev will be playing for another major trophy a month after winning his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.
If there were any lingering questions over Sinner’s physical status after his meltdown at the French Open, they should be answered now.
Sinner blasted his way past Djokovic and showed off the kind of dominance he displayed before that second-round defeat in Paris.
“I knew mentally,” Sinner said, “that today I had to raise my level, which I’ve done.”
Andre Agassi attributed Sinner's performance in part to Djokovic: “What these guys can do now is all because he has shown them what’s possible,” Agassi said on the BBC.
No heat issues for Sinner
It was another warm day in southwest London, with the temperature rising to about 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 Celsius). It was also breezy, though, and a bit cloudier than in recent days.
Still, it felt nothing like the suffocating heat and humidity in Paris when Sinner wasted a big lead against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who was ranked No. 56, and had his 30-match winning streak ended.
Djokovic was coming off the longest quarterfinal in Wimbledon history, when he outlasted Felix Auger-Aliassime after 5 hours, 15 minutes on Tuesday.
Sinner, by contrast, hadn’t lost a set since he was pushed to five by Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round.
From the start, Sinner pushed Djokovic back with his powerful groundstrokes and came up with big serves in big moments.
When Sinner faced his only break point of the match early in the third set as late-afternoon shadows started creeping across the court, he produced an ace.
Sinner has won 9 straight vs. Zverev
Zverev, whose breakthrough at Roland Garros came in his fourth Grand Slam final, is attempting to become the first man in the professional era (since 1968) to win his second major title at the next event immediately after his first.
Sinner has won his last nine meetings with Zverev and 14 straight sets.
“I have to trust myself and I have to believe that I can win and that’s what I’m going to do,” Zverev said before he knew who his opponent would be.
The 114th-ranked Fery, who grew up five minutes from the All England Club and played at Stanford University, was attempting to become the first wild card to reach the final since Goran Ivanisevic won Wimbledon in 2001.
Zverev did well not to let the pro-Fery crowd get behind the local player too much and a double fault from Fery early in the first-set tiebreaker put Zverev in control.
British cheering
The British spectators did their best to encourage Fery early on, chanting his name between points as they sipped their Pimm’s under their wide-brimmed hats.
When it was over, Fery walked off to a standing ovation and applauded the crowd in return.
“I know that 99.99% of the stadium was wanting Arthur to win," Zverev said. “But it was still such an incredible atmosphere. It was such a fair crowd as well.”
The women’s final on Saturday features two Czech players, Karolina Muchova against Linda Noskova.
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AP Sports Writer Ken Maguire contributed to this report.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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