Novak Djokovic Advances to French Open Semi-Finals in Pursuit of 25th Grand Slam Title
Djokovic's Journey Continues
Novak Djokovic, a three-time champion, is on the path to achieving a historic 25th Grand Slam title after overcoming third seed Alexander Zverev with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 on Wednesday. This victory sets him up for a semi-final clash against top seed Jannik Sinner at the French Open.
The 38-year-old Serbian celebrated his 101st win at Roland Garros, the venue where he secured an Olympic gold medal last year during the Paris Games, after a grueling match lasting three hours and 17 minutes. Djokovic is now just two matches away from becoming the first player in history, male or female, to claim 25 Grand Slam singles titles.
Earlier in the day, Sinner secured his place in the semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over Kazakh player Alexander Bublik.
In a post-match interview, Djokovic acknowledged the pressure of facing Zverev, stating, "There was a lot of tension, but that’s normal when competing against one of the best players in the world over the past five to six years."
He added, "At 38, maintaining my level of fitness is challenging, but it’s working for me." Djokovic expressed that matches like this are what motivate him to continue competing at such a high level.
Zverev, who was the finalist last year and is still in search of his first Grand Slam title, began the match strongly, breaking Djokovic in the opening game.
The German aimed to join Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer as the only men in the Open Era to reach the French Open semi-finals for five consecutive years, and he managed to secure the first set with his early advantage.
Recognizing that he couldn't match Zverev's fitness, Djokovic focused on shortening the rallies, utilizing drop shots—totaling 35—to draw the taller Zverev to the net.
Djokovic broke Zverev at 2-1 in the second set and quickly established a 4-1 lead before Zverev could respond, ultimately winning the second set with another drop shot.