The Wimbledon men’s singles semifinals are set to take center stage at the All England Club on Friday, promising thrilling encounters. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, the third seed, faces a rematch of last year’s semifinal against Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev. Following their match on Centre Court will be a clash between seven-time champion Novak Djokovic and Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who has reached his first Grand Slam semifinal.
Medvedev faces a daunting task if he wants to stop Alcaraz from retaining his Wimbledon title. He will need a better game plan than last year, when Alcaraz dominated him en route to his championship victory. However, Medvedev will draw confidence from his five-set victory over world number one Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals, where his relentless baseline play eventually overcame an ailing Sinner.
Alcaraz has also had to navigate a challenging path to the semifinals. He needed five sets to overcome Frances Tiafoe in the third round, four sets to beat Ugo Humbert in the next, and even trailed by a set before defeating American Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals. Alcaraz has shown he rises to the occasion when needed, and the prospect of potentially setting up a super Sunday for Spain – with their football team facing England in the Euro 2024 final – could provide extra motivation.
Musetti, the 25th seed, is aiming to follow in the footsteps of Jasmine Paolini, who reached the women’s singles final, and make it to the men’s singles final, potentially creating a historic day for Italian tennis. Italy has never had a player in both the men’s and women’s singles finals at a Grand Slam. However, standing in Musetti’s way is the formidable Djokovic, who is seeking a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon crown and a record 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic, who underwent knee surgery after the French Open, displayed impressive form in his fourth-round victory over Holger Rune. He then received a day of rest when his quarterfinal opponent, Alex de Minaur, withdrew due to a hip injury. Djokovic’s recent outburst against what he perceived as disrespectful fans after his win against Rune adds an intriguing element to the atmosphere on Centre Court, where underdog Musetti will be hoping for plenty of support. He will need it, given his 1-5 head-to-head record against Djokovic, with his only victory coming on clay in Monte Carlo last year. However, he did push Djokovic to five sets in the French Open, a match that concluded in the early hours.
The stage is set for an unforgettable day of Wimbledon semifinals, with Alcaraz and Medvedev seeking to claim their spot in the final and Djokovic aiming to extend his legacy, while Musetti hopes to create history for Italian tennis.
