DJOKOVIC ATTRIBUTES WIMBLEDON LOSS TO PHYSICAL FATIGUE

Novak Djokovic stated that physical fatigue from a five-hour 15-minute quarterfinal match prevented him from competing effectively in his Wimbledon semifinal against Jannik Sinner. Sinner defeated Djokovic in straight sets and went on to win the tournament. Djokovic said in a CBS interview that he could not fully recover between the quarterfinal and semifinal, and that the cumulative toll of competing at the highest level for over 20 years had affected his ability to recover quickly.

Djokovic's quarterfinal against Felix Auger-Aliassime was the longest quarterfinal match in Wimbledon history. Before facing Sinner, Djokovic had also played four-set matches against Wu Yibing, Arthur Rinderknech and Roman Safiullin, each lasting more than three hours. According to one account, this meant Djokovic had played three hours more tennis than Sinner before they met in the semifinal. Djokovic acknowledged that Sinner had won the tournament, but attributed his own performance to the physical demands of his earlier matches.

One report indicated that some observers criticised Djokovic's comments about his age and physical condition. At the current stage of his career, Djokovic stated that he requires relatively straightforward early-round matches at major tournaments to preserve energy for later stages. Recent Grand Slam performances suggest that lower-ranked opponents have been competitive against him in early rounds, according to one account.