Andre Agassi believes there is nothing Novak Djokovic could have done differently in his Wimbledon semi-final defeat to defending champion Jannik Sinner.
Just months after turning 39, Djokovic returned to the All England Club bidding to win a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam.
However, the Serbian fell at the penultimate hurdle as Sinner produced an imperious display to win 6-4 6-4 6-4 on Centre Court.
The World No1 now advances to Sunday’s final where he will face Alexander Zverev, while Djokovic’s wait for a first Grand Slam since 2023 goes on.
Djokovic came into this match after a gruelling five-hour quarter-final against Felix Auger Aliassime but looked fresh in the early stages under an intense Wimbledon heat.
But Djokovic simply had no answer for Sinner’s all-round excellence, with the Italian breaking once in each set as he cruised to victory in just under two and a half hours.
The result mirrors last year’s semi-final, when an injury-affected Djokovic was swept aside by Sinner as the Italian went on to win Wimbledon for the first time.
And while he was able to compete better on this occasion, eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi struggled to see what else Djokovic could have done to have turned the tide against an unstoppable Sinner.
Speaking in commentary on the BBC, he said: ‘Listen, if I had to find something critical that Novak didn’t do or should have done, I wouldn’t be able.
‘He really came out here with a clear game plan, he really came out here executing everything he can do to the best of his ability without hesitation.
‘But everything was answered by Sinner.’
Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard echoed Aggasi’s sentiments, saying: ‘It’s the cleanest Jannik Sinner has looked all tournament. He was hitting his balls with a lot of power but he also had that consistency.
‘I expected Djokovic to win the longer rallies and the extended points but it was Sinner who was winning them and forcing Djokovic to find solutions.
‘He was coming to the net, he was using drop shots, using serve and volley – which I liked – but it ended up not working because Jannik was jut so strong.’
Meanwhile, former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash believes Djokovic’s draining run to the final may have finally caught up with him.
Who will win Wimbledon
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Jannik Sinner
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Alexander Zverev
‘I think it was clear that Novak suffered a little bit from that long match (in the quarters),’ Cash said.
‘I thought after a couple of days he might recover. I was hoping he would and for the first set anfd a half, he was great but just threw in a few unforced errors.
‘But it waas tough going after that, the way Sinner was going, because he played incredible well. Full credit to him – what a performance.’
Speaking after his win, Sinner said he knew he would have to raise his level if he was to get past Djokovic today.
‘The beginning of the tournament is always tough, especially coming here,’ he said.
‘I feel like every round is different because of the grass, it is changing a lot, so you need to adapt yourself. I knew mentally I had to raise my level, which I have done so I am very happy.
‘I’m glad my team put me in the best possible position to perform this way so of course I’m happy where I am, happy to be back in the final and we hope for a good final on Sunday.’
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