Djokovic rejects Sinner comparison in Wimbledon roof row
Novak Djokovic told Wimbledon referee Denise Parnell he did not care what happened in Jannik Sinner's matches after Centre Court's roof closed at 7:40 p.m. with his quarter-final against Felix Auger-Aliassime tied 1-1. The 39-year-old accused officials of bending their own rules—a frustration familiar to anyone who followed Rafael Nadal through decades of marginal major calls. Djokovic still advanced to face world No. 1 Sinner in the semifinals after a five-set epic.
Key Takeaways
- Wimbledon closed the Centre Court roof at 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday after Auger-Aliassime levelled at 6-3 in the second set.
- Djokovic rejected a Sinner comparison, telling Denise Parnell: "With Jannik, I don't care what happens in his matches."
- Both Djokovic and Auger-Aliassime wanted to keep playing outdoors; the Canadian said they could play until 9 p.m.
- Djokovic won 7-6(10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(4) in the longest Wimbledon men's quarter-final on record.
- The All England Club says there is no fixed roof rule—closures depend on light, moisture, and set timing.
Why did Wimbledon close the roof so early?
With the score 1-1 between sets, tournament referee Denise Parnell walked onto Centre Court and ordered the retractable roof shut at around 7:40 p.m. local time. Auger-Aliassime had just taken the second set 6-3 after Djokovic won a gruelling 12-10 first-set tiebreak that lasted 82 minutes.
Djokovic protested that other matches this fortnight continued outdoors until 8:20 p.m. or later. In his first-round win over Wu Yibing, the roof did not close until roughly 8:25 p.m. when the score was also level. Parnell appeared to cite Sinner's fourth-round match against Shintaro Mochizuki, when the roof shut at 4-4 in the second set near 8:25 p.m., as precedent.
An All England Club spokesperson told The Athletic there is no hard-and-fast roof rule. Officials may close it if they believe players cannot finish a full set outdoors without interruption. Board member Tim Henman called 7:40 p.m. a "conservative" moment—between sets rather than mid-game.
What did Djokovic say to the referee?
Djokovic's exchange with Parnell grew heated. "The other day you didn't want to close it until 8:30, now you want to close it?" he asked, per talkSPORT. "It's 7:40 now. We can play another set outdoors. We're an outdoor tournament."
When Parnell referenced Sinner's match, Djokovic cut her off: "With Jannik, I don't care what happens in his matches. I'm talking about our match right now." He pressed on: "Where's the consistency? You're so proud of your rules and you're not sticking to any kind of rules. You have no idea what the rule is."
Auger-Aliassime sided with the Serb, saying the pair could play until 9 p.m. without issue. Both players left the court for roughly 10 minutes while the roof shut.
How does this tie into tennis longevity?
At 39, Djokovic is still chasing an eighth Wimbledon title—the kind of late-career endurance Rafael Nadal's rivalry era made seem routine. The roof delay added another variable to a match that stretched five hours and 15 minutes, the longest men's quarter-final in Wimbledon history.
talkSPORT reported Auger-Aliassime's serve speeds dropped about 2 mph under the roof early in the third set, while Djokovic's rose roughly 3 mph. Wimbledon has invested in high-end recovery tech—including a $169,500 "Ammortal Chamber" with red-light therapy—topics we cover in our Longevity & Biohacking section.
Neil Stubley, head of courts at the All England Club, noted roof closures often follow evening moisture on grass, not just fading light. The Athletic reported that was not a factor on Tuesday, when temperatures stayed stable through sunset.
What happens next for Djokovic?
Djokovic's 7-6(10-4) fifth-set tiebreak victory set up a Wimbledon semifinal against Sinner—the man officials had invoked minutes earlier. The seven-time champion is a 24-time major winner still willing to argue every edge on Centre Court.
Whether the roof controversy lingers is unclear. Djokovic reached another semifinal without dropping the fight—on court or with the referee.