PARIS – Even when Novak Djokovic won his 100th title in Geneva on the eve of the French opening, few people liked him to win at Roland Garros at the age of 38.
However, his 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 quarterfinal victory over Alexander Zverev on Wednesday brought the Serbs back into conversation.
The 24-time major winners reached the 51st Grand Slam semi-final, which disrupted Zverev for out of, and after one set of the semi-final meeting at the Australian Open in January, an injury wiped out memories of his withdrawal.
And Djokovic plays world No. 1 Janik Sinner in Friday’s semi-finals, but he only fell one set in the middle. And the way he turns things around against Zverev suggests he has a strong chance of reaching yet another final.
This is what happened on Wednesday and what it means.
Djokovic’s serve (and volley) was strong after the first set
Djokovic began the match by dropping the opening service game and urging him to change the racket. As Zverev maintained his break advantage, Djokovic found the court for just 52% of his first service, but that was the only time he lost a serve in the match.
When the second set began, the Serbs fell into a familiar pattern. At the courts of Deuce, he frequently served widely, and with Zverev standing very deep, he served several times, was able to burn volleys and even cut off his return on the net.
In the second set, Djokovic made 76% of his first serve. Third, he raised it to 78%, earning 13 of the 14 points, dropping only two points overall in serves. In contrast, Zverev struggled especially with the second serve, earning just 33% in the second set and 20% in the third set. In the fourth set, Djokovic was 77% as he saved breakpoints 3-2 by scoring a 41-shot rally.
Drop shots and variety was important as Zverev was unraveled
Djokovic used a drop shot at the first point of the match, but even if he actually lost points, the dropper was a key part of the game.
Zverev was happiest when he went toe toe with Djokovic from the baseline, but from the end of the first set Djokovic stood tightly at the baseline and began to change pace by using perfectly slices and drop shots.
Overall, Djokovic hit 35 drop shots and even if they weren’t the perfect winner, he would then score points or force Zverev’s mind to indecisively. Zverev began to fall apart. Even when the Germans gathered in the fourth set, Djokovic maintained his focus and level.
Wins on and off the court
How about that @sabalenkaa ?#RolandGarros | @djokernole pic.twitter.com/rm26rrwsym– Roland Garros (@Roland Garros) June 4, 2025
Can he really win his fourth title?
Well, it’s going to be tough, and this is why. He took Zverev, the world’s No. 3, and faced a sinner in the semi-finals. And unless Lorenzo Musetti is causing great upset, Djokovic will face world number two Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
No one beat the top three players in the world in a row to win a slam, so there’s no chance he’s against him. And while Djokovic hasn’t spurred more than Djokovic told him he couldn’t do anything, Sinner has won the last three matches against Djokovic. Breaking Italian, and perhaps Alcaraz, is a huge job.
