Djokovic Defeats Zverev to Reach Record 51st Grand Slam Semifinal at French Open

Sixth-seeded Novak Djokovic defeated third seed Alexander Zverev, last year’s finalist, in four sets — 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 — to advance to his record-breaking 51st Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open.

Djokovic's 51 major semifinal showings are a record for a man and leave him one behind Chris Evert's total mark. It is his 13th Roland-Garros semifinal, the second-oldest man in the Open era to make it this far, behind only Pancho Gonzales in 1968.

The two had last played each other at the Australian Open semifinal in January, which was cut short when Djokovic withdrew because of injury. But on Wednesday night in Paris, following over three hours of tough play at Court Philippe-Chatrier, the 24-time Grand Slam titleholder came back from a set down to maintain his quest for a record 25th major title alive.

"Beating one of the world's best players on the grandest stages is something I certainly work towards, and still, you know, I challenge myself on a daily basis at this age because of these types of matches and these types of experiences. It's a proven type of proof to myself that I can and to others that I can still play at the highest level," Djokovic explained after his triumph.

With his 101st victory at the clay-court major, Djokovic will now meet top seed Jannik Sinner in the semifinals. This will be their first Grand Slam encounter since Sinner beat Djokovic in four sets on his way to his first Australian Open title last year. Their head-to-head stands at 4-4 overall, although Djokovic has lost the last three meetings.

If Djokovic wins and second seed Carlos Alcaraz defeats Lorenzo Musetti in the other semifinal, Djokovic has the potential to accomplish something historic. No male in ATP rankings history has ever beaten the world's top three players on the way to capturing a Grand Slam title.

Coming to Roland Garros having claimed his 100th tour-level trophy in Geneva, Djokovic is on a nine-match winning spree. He is looking for his first grand slam crown since the 2023 US Open. Alcaraz, the reigning Roland Garros title winner, and Sinner have combined to claim all five majors since then.