Last night, fans at Wimbledon witnessed a match that will go down in history as one of the greatest in the competition's history, ending with Novak Djokovic qualifying for Wimbledon semi-finals, beating Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(10-4) in five hours and 15 minutes, already the longest quarter-final match in Wimbledon history. Djokovic, aged 39, is 14 years older than the Canadian, and said it had been "one of the best matches I was honestly part of in Wimbledon", only comparing it to the 2019 final against Roger Federer in terms of length.
"It was really super even. Anyone's game", said Djokovic. "Felix really played at a high level. He dropped his level a little bit in that super tie-break. I used all my opportunities and hung in there, played the right shots. That was enough".
Djokovic shocked the world by how well he played, and while some doubt his body will be able to hold when facing Jannik Sinner (who had a much more placid match leading to semi-finals), this feat will be remembered on its own merits. The Slovenian said that he is surprised because he can face opponents who are 15 years younger. "But at the same time, I always have the highest expectations for myself. I can be very self-critical, very hard on myself", said Djokovic, although he admitted that, "at the same time, I try to also enjoy moments like this."