Some of the odds may have stacked hard against him, but it seems that Novak Djokovic himself has found hope to believe in his game after showing off in the Roland Garros quarterfinal showdown against last year’s finalist Alexander Zverev, beating the German star in four sets to punch his ticket to the semis.

That marks the 51st time in the Serbian’s career that he’s been able to reach the semis stage of a Grand Slam tournament. In what was expected to be a victory for Zverev, Djokovic turned the tide in his favor and went on to escape with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, and 6-4 rally. The victory also puts him at 9-5 in his overall head-to-head series with Zverev.

Nothing has been easy for Djokovic, who is yet to win a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2023. The world no. 6 has worked hard to get back into his winning groove, and now it seems that he’s finally getting back on track as he gears up for an exciting semifinal run – against world no. 1 Jannik Sinner.

A Massive Victory for Djokovic

Djokovic was extremely superb in claiming a resounding victory against Zverev in the quarterfinal, putting up a more varied approach to his game as he was firing on all cylinders while also keeping the German from coming up with an impressive run and getting into his hot hand.

The last time these two stars played each other, Djokovic had to retire from the semis in the Australian Open earlier this year. Now the Serbian has evened the score with a strong showing in Paris, earning the praise of the crowd as well.

“Especially during the last game, my tactic was just to play drop shots,” said Djokovic. “So I played three or four in a row… Maybe you can’t see it on TV, but there is a lot of wind from one side, so it gives the sensation that you must hit twice as hard. It was important to vary the game.”

Djokovic did not start strong in his clay-court swing this season, but he surely had his form rediscovered after that resounding victory at the Geneva Open and has carried the same form since. Sometimes, all a star needs to get back on track from a slump is to win a tournament – no matter what the degree of the event is.

A Brewing Showdown vs Sinner

Djokovic is slated to take on Jannik Sinner today with a chance to advance to the final stage of the tournament. Carlos Alcaraz is also set to battle Italian rising star Lorenzo Musetti on the other side of the bracket. For Djokovic, this showdown against Sinner has more bearing than any other matchup he’s had so far as it would also allow him to finally test his improvements in the game.

Of course, Sinner is coming off amazing form despite missing out on a huge chunk of the season due to his doping ban. The Italian world no. 1 came up with a superb performance to beat Alexander Bublik in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5, 6-0. So far, it has been the best showing for Sinner, and it’s going to be a challenge for Djokovic to deliver a win at this point.

Djokovic, on the other hand, has just capped off his 100th victory at the Roland Garros, and he’s no stranger to challenges like this. In fact, he lives for it.