Novak Djokovic powered into the Wimbledon 2025 semi-finals after a tough four-set battle against Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, winning 6-7(6), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 in just over three hours. The victory marked the 38-year-old’s record 14th semi-final appearance at Wimbledon, breaking Roger Federer’s previous record of 13. It also brought him level with Chris Evert for the most Grand Slam semi-final appearances in the Open Era—52 in total.
Cobolli, the 23-year-old 22nd seed, started confidently, taking the opening set in a tense tiebreak after fighting off an early break from Djokovic. The Serbian legend, however, quickly found his rhythm, cruising through the second set with two breaks. The third set remained tight until Djokovic secured a crucial break late on. In the fourth, Djokovic broke again at 4-4 and served for the match. Cobolli fought hard, saving two match points—including one after Djokovic slipped on the baseline—but the seven-time Wimbledon champion eventually closed out the win.
Djokovic recorded 51 winners across the match, while Cobolli’s 44 unforced errors tipped the balance. Despite the loss, Cobolli impressed throughout the tournament, and his strong showing boosted his ATP ranking five places to World No. 19. Djokovic praised the Italian’s performance, calling him “a future star of the sport.”
Up next for Djokovic is a blockbuster semi-final clash with World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who progressed after a straight-sets win over Ben Shelton. As Djokovic continues his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title, he reflected on the significance of still performing at the highest level, saying his motivation is fueled by facing top-tier competition, even at 38.