Novak Djokovic used frowned-upon tactic to beat Jannik Sinner before ATP rule change

Novak Djokovic is a natural born winner. Using every weapon in his armoury and every advantage the rules of the game allow has got him to a staggering 24 Grand Slam titles, and put him in a position to hunt down a record-breaking 25th at the age of 38.

World No.1 Jannik Sinner stands in his way, with the pair going head-to-head in a Wimbledon semi-final this afternoon. Although Sinner is only 23, it will be the third time they have met competitively at SW19, with Djokovic winning the two previous encounters. During their first Wimbledon showdown, in 2022, Djokovic came back from two sets down to break Sinner's heart.

And he admitted after winning 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 that a lengthy toilet break partway through the match, and what he did during it, instigated the turnaround.

"He was the better player for the first two sets but I had a toilet break and a pep talk in the mirror," explained the Serb. "It's true - sometimes these things are necessary. The toilet break was the turning point. I go through the same doubtful moments as anyone else. The inner fight is the biggest fight you go through."

Djokovic used the crafty toilet break to his advantage while players were still free to do so. Since then, the ATP has introduced rules limiting the number of breaks a player can request during the match, as well as the length of them and when they are granted.

In the current landscape, players are only permitted to take one three-minute toilet break per match, and it must be taken at the end of a set. It remains to be seen whether that has any bearing on Djokovic and Sinner's 10th competitive meeting.

Sinner has won five of the previous nine, including the last four in a row. And unlike their 2022 contest, which Djokovic entered as the top seed and Sinner as the 10th, the Italian now goes in as the top dog with his veteran opponent seeded sixth.

Djokovic rated his chances ahead of the clash, saying: "I don't think I'm a favourite against these guys [Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner] at the moment. But I probably have my best chance against them here.

"If it comes down to me facing one or both of them, which I hope it does, as it would mean I have proceeded all the way to the final, then I'll obviously look for my best game to win. I think I do have a chance. There's no doubt about it."