Wimbledon: Why Sinner’s victory over Djokovic enhances Roger Federer’s legacy

On Friday, Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets to reach the Wimbledon final for the first time in his career, where he will face Carlos Alcaraz. While the win marked a historic moment for the Italian star, it also served as a reaffirmation of Roger Federer’s enduring legacy.

Federer holds the all-time record for the most Wimbledon titles across both the Amateur Era (1877–1967) and the Open Era (1968–present). He captured the crown eight times in 22 appearances, an impressive 36.3% win rate. His titles came in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2017.

Right behind Roger, with seven titles each, are three players. One is William Renshaw, a dominant champion during the Amateur Era, who won between 1881 and 1889. Another is Pete Sampras, who last won Wimbledon in 2000.

The third is Novak Djokovic — the only active player in that group — and until now, the biggest threat to Federer’s reign. But that threat was halted, at least for this year, by Sinner.

Novak Djokovic wipes his forehead as he reacts against Flavio Cobolli during the quarter-final match on day ten of The Championships Wimbledon 2025

For Djokovic, this marks a third straight disappointment on the grass at Wimbledon. He has spent the past three years hovering around Federer’s record but has fallen short in critical moments. In 2023 and 2024, the Serbian star lost in the final to Carlos Alcaraz. This year, he was stopped one round earlier, falling in the semifinals to the current World No. 1.

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Which active players have the most Wimbledon titles?

With Federer retired since 2022, the active player with the most Wimbledon titles is, of course, Novak Djokovic with seven. He holds a significant lead over the rest, largely due to how dominant the Big Three era was.

In fact, during the prime years of Djokovic, Federer, and Rafael Nadal, those three claimed 17 of 19 Wimbledon titles. The only exceptions came in 2013 and 2016, when Andy Murray lifted the trophy.

That streak ended in 2023, when Carlos Alcaraz broke Djokovic’s grip on the tournament and won his first Wimbledon title — a feat he repeated the following year. That’s why, as surprising as it may seem, after Djokovic, the active player with the most Wimbledon titles is Alcaraz, who will be aiming for his third this Sunday against Sinner.