Djokovic Shines in French Open Quarter-Final, Moves to Semi-Finals
Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, made a strong statement by advancing to the semi-finals of the French Open 2025 on June 4. The 38-year-old Serbian star faced off against last year’s runner-up, Alexander Zverev, at Court Philippe-Chatrier, winning the match with scores of 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
The match lasted three hours and 17 minutes, helping Djokovic secure his place in a record-setting 51st Grand Slam semi-final. With this victory, he also became the oldest player to reach the French Open semi-finals in 57 years, a milestone last achieved by Richard Gonzales in 1968.
Despite struggling earlier in the year with four first-round exits, Djokovic has rediscovered his form in Paris, aiming to capture his 25th major title—his first since winning the 2023 US Open.
Zverev began the match strongly, breaking Djokovic early to take a 2-0 lead and clinching the first set—the only set Djokovic lost in the tournament. However, Djokovic quickly turned things around in the second set, raising his game and denying Zverev any further breaks for the remainder of the match.
After the match, Djokovic shared his strategy, noting that he utilized drop shots to keep Zverev off balance. "In the final game, I focused on playing drop shots. The wind made it tricky, so I had to mix things up," he explained during the on-court interview.
Zverev struggled with inconsistency, hitting 42 unforced errors, even though he did manage to score 38 winners, just four fewer than Djokovic.
Looking ahead, Djokovic will face a tough challenge in the semi-finals against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who decisively defeated Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 in the quarter-finals.
