Jannik Sinner is set to face off against Novak Djokovic in a blockbuster Wimbledon semi-final.
Sinner overcame big-serving Ben Shelton in straight sets to advance, setting up a meeting with seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic.
Despite his imperious form, Sinner’s Wimbledon campaign has been far from smooth sailing. He was fortunate enough to make it through his fourth round match, as opponent Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire despite being two sets to the good.
Sinner also suffered a scary fall during that fourth round match, with concerns about an injured elbow arising before his match against Shelton.
However, Sinner’s elbow trouble seemed to vanish against Shelton, with the Italian coming through the contest 7-6 6-4 6-4.
Lindsay Davenport, who recently praised fellow semi-finalist Iga Swiatek for a change she has made to her game, said that Sinner did not ‘flinch’ during his match against the American.
Lindsay Davenport assesses Jannik Sinner’s performance against Ben Shelton
Speaking on the Tennis Channel, Davenport said of Sinner: “It seems like his arm has been a little bit of an issue for a while now for Sinner.
“He was actually taped up during the whole practice week as well, trying to hide it with that sleeve.
“Obviously then when you fall on something, it kind of shocks you and you start thinking ‘oh man, what did I do?’
“He has been able to play at such a high level, kind of managing whatever is going on in that elbow, [Sinner] doesn’t give a lot away.”
Lindsay Davenport knows all about winning on the big stage, having won three Grand Slam singles titles – including the 1999 Wimbledon edition.
Davenport continued: “Certainly a scare to go out there today but to be able to play a match and not even flinch. Some of those serves coming hard at him, being able to step in on this surface and be able to still drive his forehand is a great sign moving forward.
“He’s managing his arm on his days off. That’s what the advantage of a Grand Slam is. Yes you have to play three out of five, brutal. But at least you get those days off to rest. Won’t get two days, but he will get one day and he looks sharp.”
Sinner has enjoyed a lot of recent success against Djokovic, having won their previous four meetings dating back to the Davis Cup semi-finals in 2023.
In fact, the Italian holds a superior head-to-head record over Djokovic, leading the Serbian superstar by five wins to four.
The pair last met at the same stage during the 2025 French Open, with Sinner triumphing by a scoreline of 6-4 7-5 7-6.
Jim Courier is ‘curious’ to see how much Jannik Sinner practices before playing Novak Djokovic
Jim Courier, who won two French Opens and two Australian Opens during his time as a player, remarked on Sinner’s practice routine.
Courier said: “It’ll be curious to see how much he chooses to practice tomorrow.
“Does he do the same thing that he did a couple days ago? Go inside and just have balls fed to him by his coaching staff and try and keep the stress light on the elbow.
“I would not be surprised. His tennis is razor sharp. It’s not like he needs to go out and practice that.
“He just needs to focus on being healthy and getting ready to take on that guy that… that seven-time champion who might be lurking.”
