Novak Djokovic began expressing a heartfelt thought about returning to the semifinals at the All England Club — “It means the world to me,” he was saying, “that I’m still able, at 38, to play (in the) final stages of Wimbledon” — when the Centre Court crowd interrupted with yelling and applause.

Djokovic looked a step slow in Friday’s 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 defeat to Sinner after a painful fall in his quarterfinal win over Flavio Cobolli.