Novak Djokovic survived the longest quarter-final in Wimbledon history on Tuesday, subduing Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(4) after five hours and 15 minutes of gruelling baseline combat. The 39-year-old Serb, chasing a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title, appeared compromised early when he pulled up with a left calf injury at 4-4 in the first set and required a medical time-out. He grimaced through treatment, yet returned to snatch the opener in a 22-point tiebreak after Auger-Aliassime skewed a volley. The Canadian, seeded fourth, levelled by taking the second set, prompting the closure of the Centre Court roof — a decision Djokovic protested loudly to tournament referee Denise Parnell, arguing the outdoor tournament’s rules were being applied inconsistently. The match remained on a knife-edge: Auger-Aliassime forced a decider by winning the fourth-set tiebreak, but in the final-set super tiebreak Djokovic’s experience told, as he raced to a 9-4 lead and closed out the contest just minutes before the 11 p.m. curfew. “I won that match with a racquet and a lot of heart,” Djokovic said, before performing a dance dedicated to his daughter.

Earlier, defending champion Jannik Sinner had a far more straightforward passage, dismissing Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3 on No. 1 Court. The Italian world number one, who suffered a shock second-round exit at Roland Garros after struggling in extreme heat, faced temperatures around 30°C but reported no physical distress. “We worked a lot after Paris, trying to understand what went wrong,” Sinner said. “Today I felt really comfortable.” He saved a set point in the second set and broke Struff’s resistance late in the third, extending his streak of consecutive sets won at this Wimbledon to twelve since a first-round scare. Viewed from Rome, the performance was seen as confirmation that Sinner has put his Paris meltdown behind him; German commentators, meanwhile, praised Struff’s career-best run to a maiden major quarter-final at age 36.

The semi-final on Friday will be the 12th meeting between the two, with Sinner holding a narrow 6-5 edge. Their last two Grand Slam encounters have been split: Sinner won in straight sets in the 2025 Wimbledon semi-finals, while Djokovic prevailed in five sets at this year’s Australian Open. Djokovic is now into his eighth consecutive Wimbledon semi-final — a new men’s record — and his 55th at the majors. He stands two wins from an eighth All England Club title, which would equal Roger Federer’s mark, and from breaking the all-time Grand Slam singles record he currently shares with Margaret Court. Analysts in London note that the Serb’s physical recovery will be critical after the longest match of his Wimbledon career, while Sinner has spent less than half the time on court.

In the women’s draw, American Coco Gauff reached her first Wimbledon semi-final by rallying past compatriot Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. At 22, she became the youngest player to reach the last four at all four Grand Slams since Maria Sharapova in 2007. She will face Czech Karolina Muchova, who eliminated Naomi Osaka 7-6(4), 6-4. The other men’s quarter-final saw Alexander Zverev complete a delayed four-set win over Jiri Lehecka to book a meeting with Taylor Fritz.