Wimbledon: Jannik Sinner vs. Novak Djokovic Preview, Odds, Predictions, Picks

The fact that Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon semis isn’t anything strange, and the 23-time Grand Slam champ, now has to beat Jannik Sinner to enter the finals. The Serbian superstar is after another Grand Slam title, which would increase his legacy and cement his place as the best player in the history of this sport. Although, Novak, whether you like it or not, is already GOAT for the majority of the fans and analysts. Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner is the star on the rise, and at 21 years of age, one of few who has the talent to replace Nole as the ruler of tennis one day. 

The second semifinals is between Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev and here is the preview for that one as well.

Preview

Jannik Sinner (+375) had a very easy campaign so far. The Italian didn’t play against seeded players, and to be honest, he had plenty of luck so far. So it’s no wonder seeing him on the court for less than 11 hours in five events. 

The first two rounds saw Sinner defeating two Argentinians, Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Diego Schwartzman. Following that, he was better than Quentin Halys, 3-1, and in the Round of 16 eliminated Daniel Galan. Roman Safiulin was his last opponent, and the Italian lost one set in that event. 

Sinner’s defense is excellent, with him racking up 26 break points so far, which is impressive. On the other side, the percentage of his first serve is low, 56%, and that’s something you can’t allow yourself against Novak. 

Novak Djokovic (-550) beat Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals, dropping the third set but quickly bouncing back and restoring the order on the Central Court of the All England Club. The Serb again showed his fighting spirit, defying the audience, who vigorously cheered against him since day 1 of the tournament. 

Novak had a tough path toward the semis, facing Pablo Cachin in the opening round, Jordan Thompson in the second, and Stan Wawrinka in the third. He wouldn’t lose a single set in these three events. Yet in the Round of 16, he faced Hubert Hurkacz, whom he beat 3-1. That one lost sequence was after the restart the next day.

Nole is, as usual, very dominant from the baseline, and his return is something that creates too many problems for the rivals. First serve on the grass is the biggest advantage for any player, but when you face Novak, that edge fades away. 

Head to Head 

The first encounter between the two occurred in 2021 when Novak defeated Sinner in Monter Carlo in straight sets. In the last year’s Wimbledon, Novak was better than Sinner after coming back from a 0-2 deficit, flipping the result and proceeding to the semis. Later on, he won the title. 

Prediction

Novak’s return is already legendary, and with Sinner having only 56% on his first serve, he is bound to lose this one if there aren’t some radical improvements. Djokovic will win this one for sure, and our pick is for Novak to cover a 1.5-set handicap with the odds on that -300. He is better than Sinner, that is for sure, and plus, the Italian didn’t meet such an intensity of play in London so far. 

Pick: Novak -1.5 -300