Djokovic Defeats Zverev to Reach French Open Semi-finals

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic extended his quest for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title by reaching the semi-finals at Roland Garros, overcoming Alexander Zverev in a gripping quarter-final clash on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old Serbian triumphed over third seed Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in a thrilling night session on Court Philippe Chatrier that lasted over three hours.

Djokovic, seeded sixth, will now face world number one Jannik Sinner in the last four, after the Italian dispatched unseeded Alexander Bublik in straight sets earlier in the day.

“Matches like this are one of the reasons I carry on playing and why I love the competition,” Djokovic said after the win.

Zverev, last year’s runner-up, started strongly by breaking Djokovic’s serve in the opening game, a lead he held onto to take the first set 6-4. This was the first set Djokovic had dropped at the French Open this year.

However, the 24-time major champion quickly regained momentum in the second set. He broke Zverev at 3-1 after the German sent a backhand long on break point and eventually sealed the set with a flawless backhand drop shot to finish a spectacular rally filled with drop shots, overheads, and net cords.

Decisive drop shots and tactical mastery

In the third set, Djokovic seized an early break in game five, capitalising on a forehand error from Zverev. He doubled his lead when the German volleyed long, showing growing dominance.

Zverev struggled to respond, making crucial mistakes, including a netted forehand when attempting to break back in the fourth set. Djokovic continued his assault by breaking serve early in the fourth set and saved a break point in the sixth game with a stunning cross-court forehand that left the crowd on their feet.

Eventually, Djokovic sealed victory on his fifth match point, raising his arms in celebration for his 101st win at the French Open.

Setback for Zverev

The defeat ends a challenging clay-court season for Zverev, who has failed to find form at the Monte Carlo Masters, Madrid Open, and Rome Masters, where he exited in the last eight. This loss marks the end of his run at Roland Garros, where he had reached at least the semi-finals every year since 2021.