Novak Djokovic, in remarkable form, has become the oldest man since 1968 to reach the French Open semi-finals. His opponent, Alexander Zverev, meanwhile, experienced issues, even claiming to have swallowed mosquitoes during the match, leading to another significant loss.
The 38-year-old Serbian star continues to impress, extending his winning streak on the Parisian clay courts to 22 consecutive matches over the past three years.
Djokovic secured his spot in the last four with a late-night victory on Wednesday, defeating the 28-year-old German in four sets: 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. His next challenge is a semi-final match against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Friday.
Third seed Zverev started strong, winning the first set in 49 minutes – the first time Djokovic had dropped a set in the tournament.
However, Zverev`s game appeared to falter soon after he was heard telling the umpire, “I`ve swallowed about 50 flies already.” Djokovic seized the momentum, dominating the remainder of the match.
The match featured an extraordinary 41-shot rally in the sixth game of the fourth set, a point many believed Djokovic shouldn`t have won, yet he somehow prevailed.
This loss continues a trend for Zverev, who seems to struggle in high-pressure situations, notably having lost the 2024 singles final to Carlos Alcaraz despite holding a 2-1 set lead.
This defeat marked Zverev`s ninth loss in 14 career meetings against the formidable 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Djokovic, who secured the second set with a well-executed drop shot, proved his enduring ability to win gruelling matches, even those lasting over three hours, finally converting his fifth match point to seal the victory. Despite recently parting ways with coach Andy Murray before Paris, his winning instinct remains sharp.
The last time a player aged 40 or older reached the French Open semi-finals was 57 years ago, when American Richard `Pancho` Gonzales achieved the feat before losing to Rod Laver.
Earlier in the day, Jannik Sinner delivered a dominant performance, defeating Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 in just under two hours.
The consistent Jannik Sinner extended his impressive Grand Slam winning streak to 19 matches by eliminating Bublik in the quarter-finals. Bublik had previously defeated British No. 1 Jack Draper, heavily relying on drop shots.
The 27-year-old Bublik made a high number of errors in his match against Sinner, totalling 37 unforced errors and only managing six drop-shot winners, half the amount he hit against Draper.
Sinner, the top seed, is in stellar form, having won the 2024 US Open and the Australian Open in January. His current run positions him for a potential third consecutive major title on Sunday.
Reflecting on his match, Sinner said: We have played a couple of times before so we knew what to expect.
But in the other way with him, you never know what is happening. He has beaten some tough players to get there.
I tried to stay focused on my side of the court. Play as solidly as possible. He can have some ups and downs.
I tried to stay consistent the whole match and serve well in the important matches.
It was a good performance from my side. It was a bit windy and breezy, so things can be complicated.
He added: I warmed up in the hotel because it was rainy, then the sun came out. A lot of different challenges.
