“Age is just a number”: Fans react as Wimbledon celebrates Novak Djokovic and Lionel Messi’s legacy following their historic performances
Novak Djokovic delivered one of the toughest wins of his career. He survived a five-hour-15-minute battle against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Wimbledon 2026 quarter-finals. The Serbian star fought through a calf injury and immense pressure to secure a dramatic five-set victory. His remarkable effort booked a blockbuster semi-final clash against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.After the match, Djokovic also entertained the crowd with a humorous comment about football legend Lionel Messi.
Messi had earlier inspired Argentina to a FIFA World Cup 2026 victory over Egypt in a match that lasted 90 minutes. Comparing the two sports, Djokovic joked that he would gladly trade his marathon tennis match for Messi’s much shorter time on the field, drawing laughter from everyone present.Novak Djokovic’s Lionel Messi joke follows unforgettable Wimbledon marathonNovak Djokovic showed incredible determination to defeat Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (12-10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (10-4) in one of the longest and most dramatic matches of Wimbledon 2026.
The contest lasted five hours and 15 minutes on Centre Court, making it one of the biggest tests of the 39-year-old’s legendary career. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi stunned the world as Argentina beat Egypt by 3-2 in FIFA World Cup 2026 R16 to reach the quarterfinals. Surprisingly, both the 39-year-old legends won their recent match by 3-2.
Fans reacted on the Wimbledon’s legacy post. One fan wrote, “Messi, Djokovoc proved, Age is just a number. Both age 39, energy like 25.” Another wrote, “Goat recognize goat”. One fan wrote, “GOATs in a picture” while another wrote, “what a coincidence”. One fan wrote, “2 of my favorite humans on Earth”.
The Serbian faced a major setback early in the match after suffering a calf problem during the opening set. Despite the injury, he continued to fight point after point. Both players refused to back down as the match went the full five sets before Djokovic finally sealed victory in the deciding tie-break.Following the win, Djokovic was asked about Messi’s World Cup performance earlier in the day.
Smiling, he said it would certainly be easier if his matches lasted around 90 minutes like football games. His light-hearted response quickly amused fans and reporters after such an exhausting contest.Reflecting on the victory, Djokovic said he relied on his racquet, mental strength and determination to get through one of the toughest matches of the tournament.
He explained that staying calm during the most tense moments was the biggest challenge, especially in the closing stages when either player could have won. The victory sent Djokovic into his record-extending 15th Wimbledon semi-final and his 55th Grand Slam semi-final overall. He also reached the last four at Wimbledon for the eighth consecutive year, setting a new men’s record by moving ahead of Roger Federer for the longest streak of Wimbledon semi-final appearances in the Open Era.Djokovic will now face top seed Sinner for a place in the Wimbledon final.
While Sinner reached the semi-finals after a straight-set victory over Jan-Lennard Struff, Djokovic spent more than five hours on court.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.