Novak Djokovic has done it again. The Serbian legend has reached his record 14th Wimbledon semi-final, breaking Roger Federer’s previous record and showing the world, once more, why he’s considered one of the greatest to ever play the game. At 38, Djokovic is not just competing, he’s making history, and he’s making it look like business as usual.

A Battle Worthy of Centre Court

Novak Djokovic’s quarter-final against Italy’s Flavio Cobolli was anything but straightforward. The 23-year-old Cobolli, playing in his first Grand Slam quarter-final, came out swinging. He pushed Djokovic hard, taking the first set in a tense tiebreak 7-6 (8-6). The Italian’s drop shots and heavy groundstrokes had the Centre Court crowd buzzing, and for a moment, it looked like a major upset could be on the cards.

But Djokovic is Djokovic. He responded in classic style, breaking Cobolli twice in the second set to level the match. The third set was a nail-biter, with both players trading breaks, but Novak Djokovic pounced late to take it 7-5. In the fourth, Cobolli kept fighting, but a crucial missed volley at the net gave Djokovic the edge he needed. Even a scary slip while serving for the match couldn’t stop him; he got up, shook it off, and finished the job 6-7 (6-8), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 after three hours and eleven minutes.

Novak Djokovic Setting New Records

This win is more than just another semi-final for Novak Djokovic. By reaching his 14th Wimbledon semi, he’s now the sole record-holder for most men’s singles semi-final appearances at the All England Club, moving past Federer’s 13. And that’s not all, he’s now tied Chris Evert for the most Grand Slam semi-final appearances in the Open Era with 52.

Novak Djokovic himself seemed to feel the significance. After the match, he said,

“It means the world to me that I’m still able at 38 to play the final stages of Wimbledon. Thank you for cheering for my age. I really appreciate it. It’s beautiful. Makes me feel very young.”

Even Queen Camilla was in the Royal Box, cheering him on, and British actor Hugh Grant was spotted enjoying the action, proof that when Djokovic plays, it’s not just a tennis match, it’s an event.

Eyes on the Prize

With this win, Novak Djokovic keeps his dream alive for a historic 25th Grand Slam title, which would break his tie with Margaret Court for the most major singles titles in history. He’s also within reach of Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles, another milestone that’s suddenly looking possible.

But it won’t be easy. Up next is world number one Jannik Sinner, who has beaten Djokovic in their last four meetings, including the French Open semi-final just last month. Sinner is in top form, and their showdown promises to be a blockbuster. Novak Djokovic knows it, too, saying,

“I had a nasty slip, but that’s what happens when you play on the grass. I’m going to visit this subject now with my physio, and hopefully I’ll be well in two days.”

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24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic advanced to the Wimbledon 2024 semifinals after his rival, Alex de Minaur, gave him a walkover. The latter advanced to his first-ever quarterfinal at the event after defeating Arthur Fils in four sets.

However, instead of celebrating when the final point was played, de Minaur appeared concerned. He thought he had injured himself in the final few points, and additional examinations confirmed his worst concerns. The Australian suffered a serious hip injury, which puts his Olympic participation in question.

24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic advanced to the Wimbledon 2024 semifinals after his rival, Alex de Minaur, gave him a walkover. The latter advanced to his first-ever quarterfinal at the event after defeating Arthur Fils in four sets.

However, instead of celebrating when the final point was played, de Minaur appeared concerned. He thought he had injured himself in the final few points, and additional examinations confirmed his worst concerns. The Australian suffered a serious hip injury, which puts his Olympic participation in question.

What is a walkover in tennis?

Walkovers are quite common in tennis due to the short turnaround between matches and the demanding schedule. The term is commonly used when a player withdraws before the start of a match. Doing so in the middle of a match is referred to as retirement.

To play the scheduled match, a lucky loser is called to replace a player who withdraws before their first-round match. However, when this occurs in the later rounds, a player advances to the following round without taking a single shot.

Aside from Novak Djokovic’s walkover against de Minaur, there has only been one other instance of it this Wimbledon season. Lucas Pouille retired earlier to their third-round encounter with an injury, thus the Australian benefited from it.

While only a few walkovers have been granted at Wimbledon this year, there have been numerous mid-match retirements throughout the event. Madison Keys was on the verge of triumph in her fourth-round match against Jasmine Paolini but had to call it quits at 5-5 in the third set.

Grigor Dimitrov was unable to complete the first set of his fourth-round match against Daniil Medvedev and was forced to withdraw at 5-3. Other players who retired from the competition included Anna Kalinskaya, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Camila Osorio, Thanasi Kokkinakis, and Hubert Hurkacz.

Novak Djokovic to face either Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti in the Wimbledon semifinals

A walkover was hardly how Djokovic envisioned himself reaching the Wimbledon semifinals. Nonetheless, he would be pleased to be another step closer to a 25th Major title. He could face Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti next.

The Serb leads Fritz 9-0 in their head-to-head matchup and also has a 5-1 advantage over Musetti. He will be the clear favourite to defeat either of them and advance to another final at the All-England Club.

If Djokovic makes it to the summit, he might face Carlos Alcaraz in a rematch from last year’s final. Daniil Medvedev, on the other hand, has the potential to play spoiler and eliminate the Spaniard to reach the final. In any case, the championship round promises to be entertaining.

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Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and world number one Jannik Sinner advanced to the Wimbledon second round on Monday, but Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka withdrew due to an injury.

Carlos Alcaraz’s Journey Continues at Wimbledon

As Alcaraz and Sinner, two of the leaders of tennis’ new generation, moved on, 37-year-old Andy Murray left his fans guessing about his participation at the All England Club.

Alcaraz upset Estonia’s dreadlocked 269th-ranked qualifier Mark Lajal 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, 6-2 after falling behind in the opening two sets.

The Spaniard, who is just 21 years old, is chasing his fourth Grand Slam championship and aspires to become only the sixth person to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.

“He played a really good match, and he obviously surprised me a little because I hadn’t seen him play much,” Alcaraz said after the event began on Centre Court.

This time last year, Lajal was losing a first-round match at a second-tier Challenger event in the United States for $780; on Monday, he earned $75,000.

Jannik Sinner’s Performance Analysis

Sinner survived a mid-match wobble to defeat Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, setting up a meeting against other 2021 finalist and compatriot Matteo Berrettini.

“He played really well, he was serving well, and I missed a couple of shots,” said Sinner, who reached the semi-finals last year.

Andy Murray Farewell Tournament

Murray, the 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon champion, was scheduled to decide whether or not to play singles at his farewell tournament.

The former world number one had surgery to remove a cyst on his spine last week and stated that he still hasn’t entirely recovered feeling in his leg.

Murray will now choose on Tuesday, with schedulers assigning him the final slot on Centre Court for his match against Tomas Machac to give him extra time to think about it.

Aryna Sabalenka’s Wimbledon Withdrawal Announcement

Sabalenka, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist and world number three, is one of eight players to withdraw since the draw was released.

She revealed she wasn’t fully fit after sustaining a shoulder injury at the Berlin Open.

“Heartbroken to have to tell you all that I won’t be able to play in the championships this year,” Sabalenka, 26, posted on X.

Zheng Qinwen, China’s world number eight and runner-up at the Australian Open, was the greatest casualty of the day, losing in the first round for the second consecutive year.

Zheng lost 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun, who won her maiden Grand Slam match.

Sabalenka and Zheng were prospective semi-final opponents for US Open champion and second-ranked Coco Gauff, who defeated compatriot Caroline Dolehide 6-1, 6-2.

Naomi Osaka, the former world number one, won Wimbledon for the first time since 2018, coming back from a breakdown in the last set to defeat Diane Parry of France 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, hit 34 winners in the tie, which was clinched when Parry served her tenth double fault.

The victory was extremely significant for Osaka because it came the day before her daughter Shai’s first birthday.

“It feels like a dream because I haven’t played here many times,” said Osaka, who last played at the All England Club in 2019, when she was eliminated in the first round.

Daniil Medvedev’s Dominance at Wimbledon

Daniil Medvedev, Russia’s fifth seed and last year’s semi-finalist, smashed 16 aces in his 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States.

“I’ve still never lost on Court One, so hopefully I can play a lot more matches on this court,” Medvedev explained.

“Last year I said it was unfortunate I had to go to Center Court for the semis, and I lost.”

Casper Ruud’s Health Struggles

Eighth seed Casper Ruud defeated Australia’s Alex Bolt in straight sets, revealing that he had been brought low by a parasite since reaching the French Open semi-finals.

“I was mostly in bed for 10–11 days, which was not what I was kind of hoping for,” the man from Norway stated.

Stan Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, defeated British wild card Charles Broom 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in his Wimbledon debut at age 39.

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The Wimbledon 2024 main draw starts on July 1, however, the 128 men who will compete in the qualifying rounds get to compete on June 24. Richard Gasquet and David Goffin are among them. 

For tennis lovers, the qualifying draw at any Grand Slam is a gold mine, often replete with elite players who have fallen in the rankings, budding stars, and those still waiting for their moment to show off on the biggest stages. 

Each player will be trying to win three games over the next few days to punch their ticket into the main draw and ensure they receive at least a £60,000 check.

Let’s have a look at five players to watch out for at Wimbledon 2024 Men’s Singles Qualifiers

1. Richard Gasquet

When it comes to his legacy at the grass-court Major, the French veteran is possibly the most well-known figure among the Wimbledon 2024 qualifiers. He advanced to the 2007 and 2015 semifinals twice.

This week’s second seed, Gasquet faces local player Oliver Crawford in the opening round and is expected to face Vit Kopriva, ranked sixteenth, in the championship match. With three ATP titles under his belt on grass, Gasquet’s background should undoubtedly come in handy as he looks to earn a spot in Wimbledon’s main event for the 18th time.

2. Joao Fonseca

The 17-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca made history last year when he won the boys’ singles championship at the US Open and became the first player from his country to rank No. 1 in the junior world rankings. As he makes the jump to the professional circuit, the Brazilian has a lot of potential and can blast the ball with great power from the backcourt.

Fonseca advanced to his first ATP-level quarterfinal at the Rio Open earlier this year as a wildcard entrant, defeating Arthur Fils and Cristain Garin along the way. He then followed it up with another quarterfinal appearance in Bucharest. In the weeks preceding Wimbledon, he played two or three matches on grass, which ought to have given him enough time to get used to the intricacies of the surface.

The Brazilian’s draw at the Wimbledon qualifiers includes Damir Dzumhur, ranked 10th, and Matteo Gigante, ranked 29th.

3. David Goffin

The experienced Belgian player must compete in the Wimbledon 2024 main draw through the qualifying rounds as he was ranked slightly beyond the entry cut-off when direct entries were decided. Going into the qualifying rounds, Goffin should feel a lot more confident after winning the grass Ilkley Challenger lately.

Goffin has advanced to the finals in Halle and Rosmalen in past years, demonstrating his skill on grass. He is a two-time All-England Club quarterfinalist.

In an attempt to earn a tenth main draw spot at the grass-court Major, the ninth-seeded Belgian takes on Marc Polmans of Australia in the opening round. In the second round, he might play Tim van Rijthoven of the Netherlands, and in the third round, Bernabe Zapata Miralles of Spain.

4. Hamad Medjedovic

Having Novak Djokovic at your side indicates he is really a talented player. For a while now, the 24-time Grand Slam champion has been a mentor to 20-year-old Hamad Medjedovic from Serbia, and he is starting to demonstrate to the rest of us why.

Three Grand Slams in the last two seasons, the French Open in 2023 and 2024 and Wimbledon in 2023 have already qualified Medjedovic after he won the Next Gen ATP Finals in December. This year in Rome, he also put fourth seed Daniil Medvedev to the test in an exciting third-round match.

The 17th-seeded Serb takes on the former junior Grand Slam champion Daniel Rincon in the opening round of the Wimbledon qualifying tournament. In the second round, he may play either seventh-seeded Gregoire Barrere or former top-10 player Diego Schwartzman.

5. Lucas Pouille

The 30-year-old Frenchman is a top-tier player in the sport. Pouille, a 2016 Wimbledon quarterfinalist and former top 10 player, fell hard as a result of injuries and has been transparent about his struggles with alcoholism and despair since then.

After becoming a father, Pouille is content with his personal life and has spent the last 18 months regaining his position. He finished second in one ATP Challenger event this year and won another in Austria. He hasn’t yet participated in a game on grass in 2024, though.

If Pouille wishes to claim one of the 16 qualifying slots, he will have to overcome a group that includes two Frenchmen who are ranked, Luca van Assche and Harold Mayot.

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