Novak Djokovic builds towards legendary status after Jannik Sinner Wimbledon masterclass

WATCH: Djokovic will play for a 24th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon against Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday.

Some late evening, perhaps in the subterranean laboratory of a scientist who might not know the difference between a volley and a valley, an extensive study will at last reveal precisely what makes Novak Djokovic so effective in tiebreakers. Depth? Balance? Power? Movement? Body? Mind? Luck? Until that day comes, though, we must merely appreciate and wonder how he navigates these delicate situations with such clarity and precision.

For the 15th consecutive time at a major this year, Djokovic won a tiebreaker. This one came in the third set of a Wimbledon semifinal victory over the increasingly formidable Jannik Sinner. Down 3-1 in that tiebreaker, Djokovic won six of the next seven points, the last a netted Sinner backhand, to emerge the winner 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4).

“Well, it was a well-fought, straight-set victory,” said Djokovic. “Each set was closer than it appears maybe on the scoreboard. I knew that he is going to try to be aggressive and hit from both forehand and backhand quite flat and fast, so I needed to be really sharp from the beginning, which I think I have.”

The semifinal victory put Djokovic in the singles final of a major for a record 35th time, breaking a tie with Chrissie Evert (18-16). “All the tournaments that I play are basically leading me up to Grand Slam,” said Djokovic. “I'm really glad that this year, actually last several years, my Grand Slam seasons are amazing. The results are fantastic.”

Each set was closer than it appears maybe on the scoreboard. I knew that he is going to try to be aggressive and hit from both forehand and backhand quite flat and fast, so I needed to be really sharp from the beginning. Novak Djokovic

A year ago at Wimbledon, Djokovic and Sinner met in the quarterfinals. Sinner won the first two sets, but eventually lost the next three rather easily. Said Sinner, “Regardless of the score, I felt like I was more close this year than last year. That's what I felt. I felt like also the level was better. I think it's something positive from my point of view.”

The 21-year-old Sinner is the tennis embodiment of an iconic British novel: The Shape of Things to Come. As the book’s author, H.G. Wells, wrote, “There is no upper limit to what individuals are capable of doing with their minds.” As Sinner has gone about the business of building his tennis career, one can witness a dedicated contender.

“For sure physically I have improved,” Sinner said following a Tuesday quarterfinal win over Roman Safiullin that put him in the semis of a major for the first time. “I'm much stronger. I can stay on court for many hours without suffering. . . I think also game-wise or tennis-wise I feel better. If I have to play the slice, I can play now without thinking. Before was always a little bit different. I can go to the net knowing that I have good volleys.” Indeed, Sinner’s net game gets better by the minute. Today, Sinner was 22 of 29 when he came forward.

And when Sinner generated two break point opportunities in the opening game, he surely held hopes of getting off to an early lead. But Djokovic fought off both and promptly broke Sinner.

From there, Djokovic assembled points and games as only he can, issuing his relentless series of assertive and accurate probes. Quite often, Djokovic whittled away at the Sinner forehand, a shot the Italian strikes boldly, but also misfires frequently—at least during this early stage of his career. Recall that once upon a time the Djokovic forehand was far less reliable and forceful that it subsequently became.

Nor was the Djokovic serve then what it is now. Seeking to close out the first set at 5-3, from love-15, Djokovic hit three straight aces and a service winner. In that opener, Djokovic struck five aces and won 67 percent of his second serve points.

Djokovic pushed the gas pedal further early in the second set, breaking Sinner at 1-1. The next game, though, featured an oddity, Djokovic at 15-all called for a mid-rally hindrance. “I saw the replay,” said Djokovic. “I saw that my grunt finished before he hit the shot. So I thought that chair umpire's call was not correct. I mean, my opinion.” Two points later came a time violation. “I was just trying to hold my things mentally together,” said Djokovic, “and not really get upset, even though I was really upset because I didn't think it was the right call.”

That rare pair of hurdles overcome with a service hold, Djokovic navigated his way towards a two-set lead. For Sinner, a short hill had suddenly become a massive mountain. To his credit, Sinner stared down the monolith. Serving in the third set at 1-all, love-40, Sinner fought back to hold and eventually posed a major question. In the tenth game, Djokovic served at 4-5, 15-30. In his zeal to break down the Sinner forehand, he overhit a crosscourt forehand.

Down a pair of set points, Djokovic extracted two errors and eventually made his way to a tiebreaker. “Coming into every tiebreak now,” said Djokovic. “I feel I think more comfortable than my opponent just because of the record. I think that my opponents also know about that record. That mentally makes a difference.”

Thirty years ago, Djokovic was six years old and found his first tennis hero. The star was Pete Sampras, playing the ’93 Wimbledon final versus Jim Courier. Sampras took the first two sets in tiebreakers and that day went on to win his first of seven Wimbledon singles titles. Perhaps the scientist will discover that Djokovic’s genius during the tightrope-like stage of a set was imprinted that very day. As Wells also wrote in The Shape of Things to Come, “There is no age limit that bars them from the beginning.”