Novak Djokovic Books Semi-Final Clash with Jannik Sinner Following Victory over Alexander Zverev

More than two and a half hours into Novak Djokovic’s quarter-final clash at Roland-Garros, where he secured a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win against Alexander Zverev, a pivotal moment unfolded.

In the fourth set, while Djokovic was in the lead, Zverev held a break point, offering him the chance to claw his way back into the match.

The two engaged in a remarkable 41-shot rally—the longest of a challenging night marked by unpredictable weather. Djokovic emerged victorious from this exchange with a powerful forehand winner.

Following the point, he stood still, breathing heavily with his hands on his hips, soaking in the impassioned applause from the thousands gathered at Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Though Djokovic is now 38 years old, having faced a couple of three-match losing streaks this season that saw him slip to No.6 in the rankings, one thing remains unchanged: his unwavering determination and his knack for delivering stellar performances on the grandest stages. He is now just two wins away from clinching a record 25th Grand Slam title.

Djokovic proved too formidable for the third seed, Zverev, who is a decade his junior and was the runner-up at last year’s Roland-Garros, setting up a semi-final showdown against the top-ranked Jannik Sinner.

Sinner continued his outstanding form by eliminating Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0. Remarkably, he remains without dropping a set and has given away only 36 games across five matches.

On Saturday morning (AEST), fans will witness an exciting encounter featuring Djokovic, often regarded as the greatest player in tennis history, against Sinner, who is currently dominating the men’s game. Their head-to-head record stands at 4-4, although Sinner has claimed victory in their last three encounters.

No player has spent more time at No.1 in the rankings than Djokovic, and he holds the record for the most major titles and semi-final appearances, an impressive 51 in total, after becoming the second-oldest participant to reach this stage in Paris.

Sinner, aged 23, has triumphed in three of the last five Grand Slam events, including the US Open last year and the Australian Open this year. He is currently on an impressive 19-match unbeaten streak at majors, having won his last 26 consecutive sets in those tournaments.

“He’s playing rapidly and intelligently,” remarked Bublik, highlighting Sinner’s elevated level of play. “He’s operating on a different level altogether in every aspect of the game.”

This description could equally apply to Djokovic, who frequently utilised drop shots to great effect against Zverev.

As for Sinner, only Carlos Alcaraz has managed to overcome him in his last 48 matches, a remarkable run that began last August. During this period, Sinner’s record stands at 46 wins against just 2 losses, with both defeats at the hands of the reigning Roland-Garros champion.

Meanwhile, No.2 Alcaraz is still in contention, set to face No.8 Lorenzo Musetti in the other semi-final.

During the bout between Djokovic and Zverev, there were some distractions, including a swarm of small flying insects that both players attempted to swat away, as well as some banter between the chair umpire and fans during the fourth set.

Dramatically, Djokovic handled these interruptions with poise and was the superior player in nearly every aspect of the match.

He conceded a break right at the start of the match but was never broken again thereafter.

Djokovic managed to break Zverev four times—a significant achievement against a player who had only been broken five times in his previous five matches.

In comparison, Djokovic’s tally of 29 unforced errors was notably less than Zverev’s 44.

It took Djokovic five match points to seal the win, and when he finally did, the seriousness of his expression morphed into a beaming smile.

The last meeting between these two players was in the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January, where Djokovic had to retire after just one set due to a hamstring injury.

A year ago at Roland-Garros, he withdrew before the quarter-finals due to a torn meniscus in his right knee, which required surgery.

Currently, he appears to be in excellent condition.