Novak Djokovic is into yet another Grand Slam semi-final, having beaten Alexander Zverev in last night’s French Open showdown.
It was a mouth-watering clash that promised some big, relentless hitting, with many expecting that youth would surely prevail in a test of endurance.
After all, despite the 38-year-old enjoying a strong run of form to reach this stage, eventually he would return to the unpredictable form of the previous 12 months.
Well, it seems like he saved his best performance thus far for the biggest occasion, coming from one set down to beat the world number three.
Novak Djokovic’s immediate post-match reaction shared
Unsurprisingly, he cut an emotional figure as Alexander Zverev’s final shot landed long, knowing the scale of what he had just achieved.
And, speaking immediately after the match to Jon Wertheim, the journalist offered a little insight into his state. He said, on the Served by Andy Roddick segment: ‘Novak Djokovic into, get this, his 51st major semi-final. He reached the semis for the first time here in 2007. 38 years old! And now all he has to do is beat, potentially anyway, the number two and number one in the world to win the title.
‘But no, this was just an extraordinary performance. Add it to the compendium of course, recency bias notwithstanding, but this was one of the more extraordinary matches I’ve seen him play against a guy ten years his junior who came within a set of winning this event last year. Novak lost the first set and just would not be denied.
‘A strategic win, a win that really has to validate his decision honestly to keep playing. I talked to him immediately after the match and he was just glowing.
‘As trite as it sounds, really, this is why he’s still out there. That was kind of the story of the day.’
Remarkably, it seems like the Serbian will just not slow down, with John McEnroe pinpointing an area of Djokovic’s game that’s improved with age earlier this week.
Novak Djokovic’s head-to-head record vs Jannik Sinner
Things get no easier for the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who now has the pleasure of facing the current world number one who seems to be in truly unstoppable form.
He has cruised into the French Open semi-finals without dropping a set, delivering three bagels along the way in some truly crushing victories.
The form he’s in should scare anyone on tour, but if anyone can undo the Italian it’s Novak Djokovic.
After all, he’s dealt with remarkable adversity throughout an impossibly successful career, breaking through during arguably the toughest period in the sport’s history.
He will have to play a near-perfect match though, especially given his recent record against Sinner.
Djokovic has lost their last three matches, thus tying their head-to-head record at four wins apiece.
The last time they met in a Grand Slam, which was also the semi-finals, Sinner stormed through to win his maiden major title.
On the cusp of creating his own, unique, legendary history, Djokovic will have further hopes of upsetting the top-two seeds on his way to Grand Slam number 25.
