Novak is back at his best, Sinner shows no sign of slowing down: it's a tough one to call
Court Philippe-Chatrier, second match
Jannik Sinner (1) vs Novak Djokovic (6)
There had been a theory doing the rounds this year that the mighty Novak Djokovic was there for the taking. A string of first round defeats at tournaments he would normally dominate – Indian Wells, Monte Carlo, Madrid – had made him seem vulnerable. His aura (in his pomp, that was always worth a free game or two) was fading.
So much for theories. This is a Grand Slam, Djokovic’s home turf. The surface beneath his feet matters not; the venue is unimportant. If it is a Grand Slam, Djokovic is in his element and the form book be damned.
“Multiple first match losses at the big tournaments, Masters events tournaments: of course, that wasn't a great feeling,” he said. “It's something that I haven't experienced for many years. But it's no secret: it's all about Grand Slams for me, trying to raise the level and play my best tennis at these four tournaments, and this is what I have been managing to do.”
His four-set win over Alexander Zverev on Wednesday night was proof positive to the Serb that his struggles on the regular tour were irrelevant; he was still in contention at the Slams. He survived the German’s early onslaught and then simply got better and better. There was nothing Zverev could do to stop him.
“To win the quarters against Zverev proves to myself and others that I can still play on the highest level,” he said, “and I just thrive on these occasions.”
He will need that sort of confidence against Jannik Sinner. Their rivalry stands at four wins apiece – Djokovic has beaten the Italian on clay, grass and once on a hard court. Their last three meetings have been on hard courts and Sinner has won them all, the last time in China last year.
Yet in Djokovic’s mind, it is all about him. It is about how he, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, can draw on all his reserves of strength and experience to produce the Djokovic of old, the one who collects major titles like children used to collect Pokémon cards.
“These kind of matchups and challenges in a way extract the best out of me,” he said. “Playing best-of-five, late stages of a Grand Slam against the No. 1 in the world – you can't get more motivated than that for me at this age. That's how I see it now. How am I going to stop him? I don't think about that. I think about how am I going to execute what I want on the court and feel how I want to feel. That's where my thoughts are going.”
Sinner, on the other hand, sounds like a man who is just pleased to be here. After his three-month break, he has surprised himself with how well he is playing on a surface that is not his favourite (he has notched up three 6-0 sets in five matches so far). But playing Djokovic on clay in a Grand Slam semi-final is a completely different challenge.
“Novak has shown now in the last period that he is back to the level,” Sinner said. “He plays very, very well, so it's going to be quite tactical but very, very difficult. He's such an experienced player, 24 Grand Slams. I think that says everything. Let's see. I'm just happy to be in the semis and see what I can do.”
ROLAND-GARROS
19 May - 8 June 2025
©Nicolas Gouhier / FFT