PARIS — Even when Novak Djokovic won his 100th title in Geneva on the eve of the French Open, few people made him their favorite to win at Roland Garros at age 38.
His 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 quarterfinal victory over Alexander Zverev on Wednesday, though, has thrust the Serbian back into the conversation.
The 24-time major winner is through to a remarkable 51st Grand Slam semifinal, having outfoxed and outmaneuvered Zverev — and erasing the memory of his withdrawal due to injury after one set of their semifinal meeting at the Australian Open in January.
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And though Djokovic plays world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the semifinals Friday, he has dropped just one set on his way there. And the way he turned things around against Zverev suggests he has a strong chance to get to yet another final.
Here’s what happened Wednesday — and what it could mean.
Djokovic’s serve (and volley) was strong after the first set
Djokovic began the match by dropping his opening service game, prompting him to change rackets. As Zverev maintained the break advantage, Djokovic found the court with just 52% of his first serves, but that was the only time he lost serve in the match.
As the second set began, the Serbian fell into a familiar pattern. On the deuce court, he served out wide, more often than not, and with Zverev standing so deep, he was even able to serve and volley several times, cutting off the return at the net.
In the second set, Djokovic made 76% of his first serves. In the third, he upped it to 78%, winning 13 of 14 points and dropping only two points on serves overall. Zverev, by contrast, struggled particularly on second serves, winning just 33% in the second set and 20% in the third. In the fourth set, as he saved a break point at 3-2 by winning a 41-shot rally, Djokovic was at 77%.
The drop shot, and variety, were key as Zverev unraveled
Djokovic used a drop shot on the first point of the match, and even though he actually lost the point, the dropper was a vital part of his game, increasingly so as the match wore on.
While Zverev was happiest when going toe-to-toe with Djokovic from the baseline, from the end of the first set onward, Djokovic stood tighter to the baseline and began to dictate, varying his pace with the use of slice and drop shots to perfection.
Overall, Djokovic hit 35 drop shots, and even when they were not outright winners, he either won the point afterward or forced indecision in Zverev’s mind. Zverev began to fall apart. Even when the German rallied in the fourth set, Djokovic maintained his focus and level to prevail.
Victory on and off the court 🎸What about that @SabalenkaA ?#RolandGarros | @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/rM26rRWsyM
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2025
Can he really win the title for a fourth time?
Well, it’s going to be tough and here’s why. Having taken out world No. 3 Zverev, he faces Sinner in the semifinal. And then, unless Lorenzo Musetti springs a major upset, Djokovic will face Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 2, in the final.
No man has ever beaten the world’s top three players in a row to win a Slam, so the odds are against him. And though nothing spurs Djokovic more than someone telling him he can’t do something, Sinner has won his past three matches against Djokovic. Beating the Italian — and perhaps Alcaraz — is a gargantuan task.
