Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 10

Sinner Takes First Set 6-4 Off Djokovic as Hewett Reaches Fifth Straight Wimbledon Final

Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 10

Sinner Takes First Set 6-4 Off Djokovic as Hewett Reaches Fifth Straight Wimbledon Final

Q: Can Alfie Hewett finally overcome rival Tokito Oda to win the Wimbledon wheelchair singles title?

Yes — Hewett has a real chance, but Oda remains the favorite. The evidence points to a finely balanced final rather than a clear upset bid. Hewett, the British world number two, has reached a fifth straight Wimbledon wheelchair singles final after a resilient semi-final win over Gustavo Fernandez. He is a proven major champion, with 10 Grand Slam singles titles, and he has already shown he can beat Tokito Oda, including in the recent Japan Open final. But Oda’s recent record is stronger. The 20-year-old Japanese world number one is the defending Wimbledon champion, has won eight of the last 11 major singles titles, and has repeatedly beaten Hewett in the biggest matches. He has also won the last two French Open finals against Hewett and recently routed him 6-3, 6-1 in the British Open final before Wimbledon. What gives Hewett hope is the surface, the setting and his form. He won Wimbledon in 2024, pushed Oda hard in last year’s final, and has looked mentally tough again this week, recovering from setbacks in the semi-final. Playing at home could also help. So, can he finally do it? Yes — but he will likely need to serve better than he did against Fernandez, take his chances early, and avoid the lapses that Oda punishes so ruthlessly. If Hewett produces his best level, this is a winnable final; on recent dominance, though, Oda still enters as the man to beat.

Q: With a newly crowned Zverev waiting, is this semi-final the true championship match?

Yes — on evidence, Sinner v Djokovic looks like the de facto final, even with Alexander Zverev already through. The case rests on pedigree, form and matchup dynamics. Sinner is the world No. 1, the defending Wimbledon champion and was producing what Andrew Castle called his best tennis of the tournament, taking the ball early and attacking Djokovic’s second serve. Djokovic, despite being 39, remains the sport’s ultimate big-match benchmark at Wimbledon, a seven-time champion chasing a 25th major. A semi-final between those two carries the weight of the title fight because it pits the tournament’s most proven grass-court force against its current dominant player. Zverev’s presence in the final matters, but it does not fully change that perception. He is now a Grand Slam champion after winning Roland Garros, yet that run came without facing Sinner, Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz. Against Sinner, the numbers are stark: Sinner leads their head-to-head 10-4, has won the last nine meetings and beat him in the 2025 Australian Open final. That makes the winner of this semi-final the clear favorite for Sunday. There are still caveats. Djokovic’s physical state after a record-long quarter-final and the heat could affect the semi-final, while Zverev’s confidence should be higher after finally breaking through at a major. But if the question is which match most resembles the championship in quality, stakes and likely title favorite, this semi-final is the strongest answer.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 10

Jannik Sinner seized the opening set 6-4 against Novak Djokovic in the second men's semi-final, breaking for 5-4 before serving it out in 40 minutes.
The world number one hit twice as many winners as Djokovic in the first set while making fewer unforced errors, putting the seven-time champion under early pressure after his marathon quarter-final.
The winner will face Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final after the second seed beat British wildcard Arthur Fery in straight sets earlier on Friday.
On Court One, Britain's Alfie Hewett beat Gustavo Fernandez 6-7(2) 6-0 6-3 to reach his fifth successive Wimbledon wheelchair singles final and sixth overall.
Hewett will meet Japanese world number one Tokito Oda, who beat him in last year's final, as he tries to reclaim the Wimbledon wheelchair title.