Novak Djokovic teases Jannik Sinner—but also… Lionel Messi

Simply timeless. At 39, Novak Djokovic continues to rewrite tennis history. The Serbian star advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals after a marathon match lasting over five hours against Felix Auger-Aliassime. Now he’ll face Jannik Sinner in a matchup that promises to be a spectacle.

At the press conference, there was also an interesting comparison to Lionel Messi, another champion capable of captivating the sports world at age 39. Djokovic smiled at the comparison: “It would be nice to play 90 minutes like him,” before immediately turning his attention to his next match: “Now I have an extra day of rest, and that’s a good thing.”

The Serbian then analyzed his victory over Auger-Aliassime: “It’s exciting to be part of such an epic match that lasted more than five hours. Honestly, it was one of the best matches I’ve ever played at Wimbledon. I don’t remember playing another one this long here. Maybe the final against Roger in 2019 comes close in terms of duration. It was an extremely even match. Anyone could have won. Félix played at an extremely high level. He dropped off only slightly in the super tiebreak, and that’s when I took advantage of every opportunity I had. I hung in there, chose the right shots, and that was enough. The crowd was totally engrossed, especially in the last half-hour, and they understood how special the moment was, even when they realized the time limit was approaching. I’m very proud to have come out on top.”

Djokovic then reflected on his ability to remain competitive at the highest level despite his age: “At this age, to still be able to compete with players who are 15 years younger than me and beat them in such hard-fought matches is a nice surprise. At the same time, I always have the highest expectations of myself. I’m very self-critical and very demanding, even though I also try to enjoy moments like this.”

A victory that the Serbian champion considers one of the most significant of his career: “I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I’m still in the tournament and I want to take at least one more step forward. This match felt like a final to me. I gave it absolutely everything I had. I think it was an exciting experience for us as players, for the crowd, and also for everyone who watched it on TV. I’m happy to be part of another historic match.”

Finally, his focus is already on the semifinal against Sinner, whom Djokovic had already defeated at the same stage of the draw at the Australian Open: “Now it’s different from Australia. There, I arrived much fresher after several months of preparation, and the long match was actually in the semifinals. Here, it was in the quarterfinals, and now I have to face Sinner in the semifinals. Today, however, was another great performance for me at a Grand Slam. That’s what matters most. I keep trying to prove to myself and others that I’m capable of competing with the best players in the world and beating them on the biggest stages. I did it in Australia, and I’ve done it again here. I hope to be able to do it a couple more times in London.”