This is the moment I focus and truly give my utmost effort, Novak Djokovic states. “I excel in Grand Slam tournaments.
If there were any lingering doubts about this assertion, he provided undeniable evidence during a challenging, exhausting four-set victory against Alexander Zverev on Wednesday. Djokovic, who has secured only one ATP title in the past eighteen months, delivered a nostalgic performance to triumph over the No. 3 seed.
He recorded more aces than the powerful-serving German, along with a greater number of winners. He achieved 71 percent success on his first serves and was broken only once, at the very start of the match. He won crucial points through serving-and-volleying, successfully completing 27 out of 37 net approaches, and in the final set, he saved a break point by concluding a remarkable 34-shot rally with a forehand pass. Whenever he faced a critical moment, Djokovic did not falter.
This indicates that the 38-year-old, who struggled through much of the initial half of the season, suffered two first-round defeats at Masters 1000 events, and dismissed his coach, has returned to his optimal form just in time. Did we anticipate anything less? I must admit I had my reservations about his ability to win seven best-of-five-set matches on clay. Now, he only has two more to achieve.
One of the competitors will face Jannik Sinner, the top-ranked player globally, who has triumphed in his last 19 matches at major tournaments. Perhaps more significantly, the Italian has also secured victories in his last three encounters, and four out of his last five, against Djokovic.
The Serbian player is aware of the challenge he faces.
I know what to expect from Jannik, Djokovic stated. “He’s going to come out and perform at an exceptionally high level, as he has in virtually every tournament he participated in over the past year and a half. I do not anticipate anything less from him.
This is the current situation with Sinner: one can reliably expect a top-tier, high-octane performance from him. His strokes are precise, the pace is rapid, and the ball reaches you, or goes past you, in what seems like no time. To assert that he has not lost a set in five matches is an understatement. Three of those sets were 6-0, and three were 6-1. In his quarterfinal match against Alexander Bublik, Sinner recorded 31 winners, committed 13 errors, and was not broken, despite only achieving 56 percent of his first serves.
I felt that I was very, very consistent from the back of the court today, Sinner remarked afterward. “I believe that contributed significantly throughout the entire match.
As well as these two have looked, neither has played an opponent anywhere near their level so far in Paris. Whose form will hold up better under the heightened pressure?
Djokovic will be facing a quantum leap in pace from the other side of the net. While he was able to grind with Zverev, he’ll need to up his defensive level against Sinner, who takes the ball much earlier, and find some way to push back and make the tall Italian move.
Does that sound impossible? We’ve seen Djokovic do it before here. Two years ago, when he played Carlos Alcaraz in the semis, he countered the younger man’s power by standing toe-to-toe with him, and it worked. Djokovic was both wily and confident against Zverev; he’ll need to be both of those things again.
These kind of matchups and challenges in a way extract the best out of me, Djokovic says.
Sinner is also well aware of what’s coming. While Djokovic is 14 years his senior, that means he also has 14 more years experience winning big matches.
He has shown now in the last period that he is back to the level,” Sinner says of Djokovic. “He plays very, very well, so it’s going to be quite tactical, but very, very difficult. He’s such an experienced player, 24 Grand Slams. I think that says everything.
Sinner will play his game, because why wouldn’t he? It’s the best there is right now. Djokovic will try to find a way to surprise him and disrupt that game; he’s as good as anyone has ever been at that.
