There were times during his Wimbledon semi-final that Novak Djokovic must have felt as if he was looking in a mirror.
Elements of Jannik Sinner’s game scream pure Djokovic – whether it’s the sliding, the rally tolerance or the movement around the court.
But, as three-time Wimbledon singles winner John McEnroe said, there was one difference.
“We were watching a better version of Novak Djokovic playing himself,” McEnroe said on BBC TV.
“He was doing the exact same things that took him to the pantheon of the sport.”
World number one Sinner was ruthless against Djokovic, dominating the first two sets and coming back from a break down in the third to win 6-3 6-3 6-4 and end the Serb’s latest bid for a standalone record 25th Grand Slam title.
For the first time, Djokovic looked as though he was feeling the 15-year difference between himself and Sinner.
Both came into the match with injuries – Sinner with his right elbow and Djokovic with his movement hindered after a fall late in his quarter-final – and both took precautions throughout the week to recover.
But while Sinner appeared relatively untroubled, Djokovic’s movement was hindered. Being half a step slower than usual was enough for Sinner to pounce – just as Djokovic has done to opponents over the years.
“It’s just age, the wear and tear of the body,” Djokovic said.
“As much as I’m taking care of it, the reality hits me right now, the last year and a half, like never before, to be honest.”