Novak Djokovic delivers verdict on Jannik Sinner after feud accusation | Tennis | Sport
Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner are set to renew one of tennis’ fiercest rivalries when they lock horns in another blockbuster Wimbledon semi-final – although the pair were once forced to shut down claims of an off-court feud. The duo will battle it out on Centre Court on Friday afternoon for a place in Sunday’s showpiece final.
Both players have looked in fine form on their way to the last four, with defending champion Sinner not dropping a set since surviving an early scare against Miomir Kecmanovic in the opening round. Djokovic, meanwhile, has continued to defy the call of Father Time as he chases a record-extending 26th Grand Slam crown.
When asked about Rafael Nadal, Djokovic said “tenacity”, before commenting “elegance” for Roger Federer and “charisma” for Alcaraz. However, when asked about Sinner, he replied: “Skiing”.
The response puzzled many fans, with some interpreting it as a thinly-veiled swipe at the Italian. Speaking before the Australian Open that year, Djokovic sought to pour cold water over the social media fire he had unwittingly lit.
“Yes, I’ve seen it on social media that it’s being made into some kind of drama or story, like I humiliated him or I’ve intentionally shown disrespect towards him,” he said during a press conference in Melbourne. “That’s ridiculous. It was one of those quiz-type interviews where you have to think of something in a second.
“Sinner’s name came up and I had this image in my head of him skiing. I saw he was skiing somewhere. Also, the two of us talk about skiing always, how we’re going to ski together, et cetera. That’s why I said ‘skiing’, not because I don’t respect his achievements in tennis, on the contrary.”
