Roger Federer makes bold prediction for Novak Djokovic & Jannik Sinner’s Wimbledon SF showdown

Roger Federer has made a bold prediction for Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner's upcoming semifinal showdown at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. The Serb and the Italian are all set to lock horns for a place in the final of the grass Major on Friday, July 11.

A tennis fan driving around the grounds at Wimbledon spotted record eight-time men's singles champion Federer and proceeded to ask the Swiss about his prediction for the semifinal. The former No. 1 and 20-time Slam winner initially appeared hesitant to come up with an answer, but eventually, he said:

"I think Novak!"

It's certainly a bold pick made by Roger Federer considering Novak Djokovic has come up second-best in his last four meetings against Jannik Sinner. The Swiss attended one of those contests as well; the final of last year's Shanghai Masters, which the Italian won 7-6(4), 6-3.

There are concerns about how well the former No. 1 can compete in this year's semifinal contest though. He suffered a sudden slip towards the end of his quarterfinal clash against Flavio Cobolli and according to reports, canceled his practice sessions at SW19 on Thursday, July 10. After his win over Cobolli, the Serb himself laid bare his lack of expectations going into his last four duel with Sinner.

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Novak Djokovic made "recovery" from QF slip his focus in buildup to SF clash against Jannik Sinner

Novak Djokovic after slipping during his 2025 Wimbledon quarterfinal match against Flavio Cobolli (Source: Getty)

In his post-match press conference following his four-set win over Flavio Cobolli in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, the Serb spoke up about focusing on the recovery from his dramatic slip. The 24-time Major champion said:

"I don’t expect anything to be honest (from the semifinal against Sinner). I just try to focus on my recovery right now. Getting my body in shape for a very physical battle. Hopefully I can deliver the level and be able to stay with him for potentially 5 sets. It’s going to take the best of me at the moment to beat Jannik. I know that. That’s the only thing I’m thinking about right now."

It's worth noting that the Serb has triumphed over Sinner twice at Wimbledon previously. In 2022, they faced each other in the quarterfinals of the grass Major, with Djokovic recovering remarkably from a two-set deficit to win the match. Two years ago, the pair clashed in the last four. This time around, the Serb emerged victorious in straight sets.