Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 to book his place in a second successive Wimbledon final against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. With this victory, Djokovic is just one win away from securing a record-setting 25th Grand Slam title.
Just five weeks after undergoing knee surgery, Djokovic reached his 10th final at the All England Club by overcoming the Italian 25th seed.
In the other semi-final, Alcaraz triumphed over Daniil Medvedev with a 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory, earning a spot in his fourth Grand Slam final.
At 37, Djokovic stands on the brink of equaling Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles and becoming the tournament’s oldest champion of the modern era if he avenges last year’s final loss to Alcaraz. “I have said it many times, Wimbledon has been a childhood dream for me to play and to win it,” said Djokovic, who fled Serbia in his youth to train in Germany after escaping the NATO bombing of Serbia in the 1990s.
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“It is worth repeating. I was a seven-year-old boy watching the bombs fly over my head and dreaming of being on the most important court in the world, which is here in Wimbledon,” he added.
The last encounter between Djokovic and Musetti was at the French Open in June, where Djokovic secured victory in a third-round tie that ended at 3:07 in the morning. On Friday, however, Djokovic had a smoother path to his 37th Grand Slam final.
He broke for a 4-2 lead in the opener and, despite losing that advantage and missing two set points in the ninth game, he broke again in the 10th to claim the set. The second seed was playing in his 49th Grand Slam semi-final while the 22-year-old Musetti was in his first. That experience proved crucial as Djokovic recovered from losing serve in the opening game of the second set to level in the sixth before dominating the tie-break.
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A break in the opening game of the third set set Djokovic on his way to victory against a demoralized Musetti, who saved three match points before Djokovic sealed his progress to another Wimbledon final.
“I feel a little sad but I have to say Novak played an incredible match,” said Musetti. “He showed that he’s in great shape, not only in tennis but physically. We have played seven times, but I have never seen Novak play like this today.”
Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final in a five-set thriller, setting the stage for an eagerly anticipated rematch this year.
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