Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport
Centre Court challenges swirled around Novak Djokovic from all angles.
A determined Demon devoured him in the first set, a whipping wind wreaked havoc with his toss, he tasted turf with repeated frontcourt dives and a Wimbledon legend was looking over his shoulder as his dilemma deepened.
Down 1-4 in the fourth set, Djokovic fired his forehand with menace to find the finish line.
Djokovic tore through five games in a row fending off Alex de Minaur 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to fight into his 16th Wimbledon quarterfinal.
“I’m still trying to process the whole match what, happened on court,” Djokovic said. “It wasn’t a great start for me. He broke my serve three times in the first set, very windy swirly conditions and he managed it better.
“I didn’t have many solutions to be honest… It was a tough game to close out the second set. I felt it was a momentum shift. I felt like okay I’m back on game.”
The 38-year-old Serbian superstar is the third man in Open Era history to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals aged 38 or older after Aussie legend Ken Rosewall (aged 39 years 246 days in 1974) and eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, who reached the quarterfinals aged 39 years 337 days in 2021.
A fit Federer watched this clash from the front row and had to be impressed by Djokovic’s resilience.
A smiling Djokovic referenced his rival’s supreme net skills in his on-court interview.
It is Djokovic’s record-extending 63rd major quarterfinal and it did not come easy at all.
The 38-year-old Serbian superstar is the third man in Open Era history to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals aged 38 or older after Aussie legend Ken Rosewall (aged 39 years 246 days in 1974) and eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, who reached the quarterfinals aged 39 years 337 days in 2021. Federer watched this clash from the front row and had to be impressed by Djokovic’s resilience.
Continuing his quest to capture a record-extending 25th Grand Slam crown—and equal Federer with an eighth Wimbledon championship—Djokovic saved a break point to prevent himself from falling into a 1-5 fourth-set hole.
That saved sparked the Serbian, who streaked through 12 of the final 13 points, improving his Wimbledon record to 101-12.
The sixth-seeded Serbian will face Flavio Cobolli for a semifinal spot.
The 22nd-seeded Cobolli—one of three Italian men scheduled today—defeated 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(3) to reach his maiden major quarterfinal on No. 2 Court.
It is Djokovic’s record-extending 63rd major quarterfinal and it did not come easy at all.
Managing a myriad of challenges with a clear-eyed calm, Djokovic joked afterward it was “probably the first time [Federer] watched me and I won the match.”
“A difficult encounter sometimes; I wish I had the serve and volley like that man standing right there that would help,” Djokovic said. “But hey, I can’t complain. I still have to run. I have to run a lot and that’s fine, that’s part of my game.
“I didn’t feel the ball so well in the first set today as the match progressed I was getting used to conditions and his pace and I was starting find my forehand and make more winners.
“It’s probably the first time [Federer] watched me and I won the match. The last couple I lost so good to break the curse. It’s great to have Roger, a huge champion and someone I admired and respect a lot. We shared the stage and it’s great to have him back at his most successful tournament no doubt.”
Full credit to de Minaur, who exploited one of the worst opening sets Djokovic has ever played in a Slam to start and very nearly took this tense test to a fifth set.
De Minaur won 28 of 40 net points, held his own in longer baseline exchanges and matched the Grand Slam king with six service breaks.
"I think he definitely in the fourth set lifted his level big-time," de Minaur said. "From 4-1 I had a chance to break him and get the double break. Then I think he started going after it a little bit more and definitely raised his level, which yeah, completely changed the momentum.
"Of course, I'm sitting here now a little frustrated that I let, you know, that set slip away. But, I mean, he's been pretty good in big moments for a very long time."
After pouring himself into the match, de Minaur kept giving even in defeat: He gifted a kid in the front row his Wilson Blade racquet and handed a few other fans his Wimbledon towels as he walked off court.
“He’s one of the quickest players we have on tour so on grass it bounces low it’s extremely difficult to play someone like him,” Djokovic said of de Minaur. “I’m very pleased to hang tough in the right moments and win this one.
“I obviously love winning in straights, to be honest if I can, but in the days like this as we progress in the tournament the matches are only gonna get tougher. Alex is very tough to play against on this surface. i never faced him on this surface. I was slightly more nervous coming into this and I think that reflected in the first set.”
In a jittery opening game, Djokovic committed a couple of double faults to gift the break to the Aussie.
The gusty wind provoked disparate reactions from both men.
Bending low to the ball and driving deep strikes, de Minaur was striking with precision.
Struggling to adapt to the bluster, Djokovic could not consistently land first serves. The Grand Slam king coughed up another two double fault game to cede the break and a 4-1 lead.
Playing clean combinations, de Minaur earned triple set point in the seventh game. When an off-balance Djokovic slapped a forehand into net, de Minaur scored his third break to seal a stunning opening set in a mere 30 minutes.
Playing his 113th career Wimbledon match, Djokovic set an ignominious record in suffering a 6-1 opening set loss for the first time in his SW19 career. Djokovic clanked four of his five double faults in that sloppy first set.
Resetting, Djokovic broke to start the second set only to see de Minaur answer back with the break.
Signs of frustration were evident as Djokovic slapped his thigh with his left hand as if trying to jump-start his legs.
In a long baseline exchange, Djokovic stood his ground and delivered the goods prevailing with his second straight break and urging Centre Court fans to make more noise.
The Olympic gold-medal champion pumped his third ace holding at 15 for a 5-3 second-set lead.
Second-set closure was complicated.
Down love-30 as he served for the set at 5-4, Djokovic drew even at 30-all. Attacking net, Djokovic went diving for a de Minaur crosscourt pass, but couldn’t control that mid-air volley and faced a break point.
Attacking again, Djokovic saved break point but netted a forehand to face a second break point.
Pouncing on a short ball, de Minaur was in prime position to rap a winner, but blinked and flew his forehand approach long. Instead of breaking back, that miscue extend the game and Djokovic exploited it whipping the wide serve to level the match with a loud “Come on!”
Cleaning up his baseline play, Djokovic diminished his unforced error count in set three. Djokovic stamped a love hold for 3-all then made his move three games later.
Leaning low, Djokovic carved out an exquisite full stretch forehand volley for double break point. That bit of magic had his wife, Jelena, and son, Stefan, leaping out of their seats raising clenched fists.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion broke for 5-4 when de Minaur missed his third forehand of the game.
In a lengthy rally, Djokovic was working the ball side to side when he raced up to a net-cord shot and smacked a short forehand winner to close the third set for a two-sets to one lead.
Despite the deficit, an intense de Minaur was winning more of the longer rallies then imposed his net skills. In a nose-to-nose exchange at net, de Minaur hit a flying forehand volley for triple break point.
The two-hander is Djokovic’s most stable shot, but he knocked a backhand into the middle of the net ceding the break and a 2-0 lead to the Aussie. De Minaur backed up the break at 30 for a 3-0 fourth-set lead eventually extending to 4-1.
De Minaur had a shot to break again and stretch the lead to 5-1, but a stubborn Djokovic denied it and held for 2-4.
In the seventh game, the pair traded big blows in a crackling 32-shot baseline exchange then ended with Djokovic stepping up and torching a forehand winner down the line breaking back for 3-4.
Growing in confidence and striking his heaviest forehands of the match, Djokovic elevated soaring through 12 of the last 13 points in overcoming a frustrating start with a flowing finish.