Novak Djokovic surpasses Chris Evert, becomes player with most Grand Slam final appearances in Open Era

Novak Djokovic overcame a strong challenge from Jannik Sinner to triumph 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) in the first men's singles semifinal of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships on Friday, July 14.

The Serb will now play the title round at SW19 for the ninth time while aiming for a record-equalling eighth men's singles title. He is also looking to capture a whopping 24th Grand Slam title, which would make him the player with the most Slams in the Open Era.

With his semifinal win over Sinner, Novak Djokovic has also become the player with the most appearances in singles Grand Slam finals among both men and women, surpassing Chris Evert's tally of 34.

Among other top players, Serena Williams has made it to a singles Grand Slam final on 33 ocassions, followed by Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf, who have featured in 32 and 31 final appearances in Grand Slam singles events respectively.

The World No. 2 will take on the winner of the second semifinal between Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz in his 35th appearance in the title round of a Grand Slam.

The four-time defending champion was put to the test by Jannik Sinner, who enthralled the crowd with his crosscourt forehands, many of which veered past Djokovic's outstretched racket but faltered at crucial moments.

In stark contrast, the 36-year-old kept his head even while he trailed 4-5 (15-40) in the third set while also coming from behind in the tie-break.

"The hindrance could have changed the course of the match" - Novak Djokovic

Djokovic overcame a trong challenge from Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals

Chair umpire Richard Haigh's hindrance call briefly overshadowed what was an engrossing contest between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner in the semifinals at Wimbledon. Early in the second set, Haigh awarded a point to Sinner while the 22-Grand Slam champion let out an extended grunt following a backhand return.

Djokovic reacted with disbelief but desisted from challenging the call and kept his focus instead. After the match, however, he stated that the incident was a first in his career and could have altered the course of the game had he let it.

"The hindrance early on in the match could have changed the course of the match. I felt nervous after that call, but I managed to re-group," he stated during his on-court interview after the match.

"It's probably the first time it's happened to me, I don't normally have extended grunts. Maybe it was an echo in the roof. It was a call that I have to respect," Novak Djokovic added as the Center Court crowd roared in the background.