The Wimbledon men’s singles semi-finals take centre stage at the All England Club on Friday. Defending champion and third seed Carlos Alcaraz faces Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in a rematch of last year’s semi-final, followed by seven-time champion Novak Djokovic taking on Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who has reached his first Grand Slam semi-final.
Medvedev, the fifth seed, seeks to stop Alcaraz’s quest to retain his title. Last year, Alcaraz dispatched Medvedev with ease and went on to defeat Djokovic in the final. However, Medvedev’s five-set victory over world number one Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals showcased his relentless baseline play.
The 28-year-old Russian has won six of his previous eight Grand Slam semi-finals, but only one title – the 2021 US Open. Medvedev avenged his Wimbledon defeat against Alcaraz by beating him in the US Open semi-finals but lost their only meeting this year in the Indian Wells final.
“It’s tough to play against him because you know whatever shot you hit, he can hit a winner from there,” Medvedev said. “Carlos can do whatever from any position and that’s not easy to play against.”
Alcaraz, who fought through tough matches against Frances Tiafoe, Ugo Humbert, and Tommy Paul, aims to set up a “super Sunday” for Spain, coinciding with the national soccer team’s Euro 2024 final against England.
Musetti, the 25th seed, aims to join Jasmine Paolini in the finals, making history for Italian tennis. However, Djokovic, seeking his eighth Wimbledon crown and a record 25th Grand Slam title, stands in his way. The Serb, who had knee surgery after the French Open, looked dominant in his fourth-round win over Holger Rune and benefited from a day off when Alex de Minaur withdrew from their quarter-final.
Despite a head-to-head record of 1-5 against Djokovic, Musetti remains hopeful. “I think if I play in a certain way, I could have my shot in the next round,” he said after defeating Taylor Fritz.
Centre Court will feature:
- Daniil Medvedev (5) vs. Carlos Alcaraz (3)
- Lorenzo Musetti (25) vs. Novak Djokovic (2)
