Novak Djokovic looked as if he were a bit surprised by the question.

And maybe he should have been.

The query, essentially, was this: Are you the favourite to win the championship at Wimbledon? Now, sure, there is some work to be done to collect that trophy.

First Djokovic, 36, needs to beat No. 8 seed Jannik Sinner, 21, on Friday in what represents the largest age gap between two men’s semi-finalists at the All England Club in the professional era, which began in 1968.

And after that, Djokovic would need to beat the winner of that day’s other match — No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz or No. 3 Daniil Medvedev — in the final on Sunday.

This, then, was Djokovic’s reply: “I mean, I don’t want to sound arrogant, but of course I would consider myself the favourite.”

What Djokovic might have been forgiven for saying, but was too polite to, was: “Come on, my friend. Is that really what you want to ask? Of course I expect to win the title. And you should expect me to win the title. And everybody should expect me to win the title.”

Start by looking at his accomplishments relative to the other three men:

⚫ Djokovic has won seven Wimbledon titles. The other three guys have won a total of zero.

⚫ Djokovic has reached his 12th Wimbledon semi-final. The other three guys have never played in one.

⚫ Djokovic has won a men’s-record 23 Grand Slam titles, including both so far this year. The other three guys have won a total of two: Medvedev at the 2021 US Open, Alcaraz at the 2022 US Open.

⚫ Djokovic will be participating in his 46th major semi-final on Friday, equaling Roger Federer’s record for men. The other three guys have raised their combined total to 10: Medvedev is into his sixth, Alcaraz his third, Sinner his first.

And then there’s also this: Djokovic is a combined 12-5 against the other three guys head-to-head. He leads Sinner 2-0, including a win in last year’s Wimbledon quarter finals. Sinner took the first two sets in that one but blew the huge lead and lost in five.

It is up to Sinner, considered one of the leading members of the sport’s next generation, to try and stop Djokovic, who has won 33 matches in a row at Wimbledon.

Djokovic’s scouting report on Sinner: “He’s so young, so of course it’s expected that he’s going to improve. He is improving, no doubt, I think, with the serve. He’s been serving better. On grass, obviously, (that) makes a difference. He’s a very complete player.”

Sinner’s description of facing Djokovic: “It is also a little bit mental, no? If you play against Novak, it’s always tough to play ... especially (at) Grand Slams.”

At 20, Alcaraz is even younger than Sinner, and has accomplished more so far. He and Medvedev, 27, offer contrasting styles that could produce a scintillating matchup. Still, all eyes on Friday will be on Djokovic.