Premium

WATCH: Incredible 41-shot rally in quarterfinal between Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev at French Open

Djokovic went on to win the contest 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 and has progressed to the semifinal and will face Italian Jannik Sinner

Novak Djokovic on the left and Alexander Zverev on the right. (AP photo)

During the quarter final of the French Open, Serbian Tennis player Novak Djokovic won an astonishing 41-shot rally against Germany’s Alexander Zverev. The former had a lead of two sets to one in the high-octane contest, and during the fourth set, Djokovic faced a break point at 3-2, and that is when the incredible rally followed, and Djokovic managed to get his point, forcing the deuce and saving his break.

Djokovic went on to win the contest 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 and has progressed to the semifinal and will face Italian Jannik Sinner. Djokovic might be 38 now. He might have slogged through a pair of three-match losing skids this season and slid to No. 6 in the rankings. What hasn’t changed is Djokovic’s determination or his ability to be his best on big stages — and now he’s two wins from a record 25th Grand Slam title.

“I still push myself on a daily basis at this age because of these kind of matches and these kind of experiences,” Djokovic said. “It’s a proven kind of testament to myself that I can — and to others that I can — still play on the highest level.” Earlier Wednesday, Sinner continued his overpowering run through the bracket by dismissing Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0. Sinner not only hasn’t dropped a set so far, but he has ceded a total of only 36 games through five matches.

41 SHOTS RALLY TO SAVE A BREAK POINT 🤯#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/jGhlFQ3qTy

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2025

So Friday will bring a tantalizing showdown between someone many consider the top player in tennis history, Djokovic, and someone who is at the top of the men’s game at the moment, Sinner. They are tied 4-4 head-to-head; Sinner won the last three matchups. “He has shown now, in the last period, that he is back,” Sinner said.

No one has spent more weeks at No. 1 in the rankings than Djokovic. No one has won more major championships or reached more major semifinals than his total that now stands at 51 after becoming the second-oldest man to get that far in Paris. He also just claimed his 100th career tournament title, a week before the French Open. “I just hope that I will be able to physically keep up with Sinner in few days’ time,” Djokovic said. “It’s a big challenge for me.”

(With agency inputs)