[ARTICLE]
Novak Djokovic pulled up clutching his lower left leg at 4-4 in the first set and called for the trainer. Four sets and five hours later, he was standing with his arms raised on Centre Court.
Djokovic defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (12-10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (10-4) in a match lasting five hours and 15 minutes, according to BBC Sport. The win sets up a Wimbledon semi-final against world number one and defending champion Jannik Sinner.
"I won that match with a racquet and a lot of heart," an exhausted Djokovic said. "What can I say? These are the kind of moments I still play tennis for. I wish it was the final so I don't need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow, but I'm happy that I won."
Djokovic, now 39, is bidding for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title. He has been tied with Margaret Court since the 2023 US Open. Two more wins at Wimbledon would give him sole possession of the all-time record.
The injury came early. He had to hold his service game before he could receive treatment, then grimaced through a massage on court. After the time-out, he started moving freely again. The first set went to a 22-point tie-break in which both players missed multiple set points before Auger-Aliassime gifted Djokovic the opener with a skewed volley.
Djokovic then dropped his concentration late in the second set, lost his serve, and Auger-Aliassime leveled the match. The roof was closed at that point over the objections of both players. Djokovic was blunt about it.
"You are so proud of your rules and you're not sticking to any kind of rule. We have no idea what the rule is," he said while arguing with officials.
He regrouped to take the third set, dropped the fourth in a tie-break, then won the decisive fifth in another tie-break, this one more comfortable at 10-4. After the final point, he did a dance routine on court in tribute to his daughter.
The semi-final against Sinner carries recent history. Sinner dismissed Djokovic easily on Centre Court at Wimbledon last year, a result that led Djokovic to reflect grimly on his age. But Djokovic beat Sinner in the semi-finals of January's Australian Open, taking back some ground. Their meeting is set for Wednesday, July 15.
