DESPITE a staggering 100 career titles, a record 24 Grand Slam trophies and an unprecedented 428 weeks as world No. 1, Novak Djokovic is still no stranger to worrying what is going on with his game.
Just over a month ago, the Serbian superstar was reeling from a string of three consecutive defeats — his second such slump in 2025 — and was winless on red clay, raising questions about his readiness for the French Open.
To regain his footing, Djokovic made the strategic decision to enter the Geneva Open. Since then, he’s rediscovered his championship form, racking up eight straight victories — including the Geneva title — and storming into the Roland Garros quarterfinals without dropping a set.
“It happens if you lose a match or two consecutively, and then you don’t feel you have enough match play, you start to maybe doubt your game. You don’t want to be in that state of the mind coming into Grand Slams,” the 38-year-old Serb said. “So I’m just glad it all turned out to be perfect for me, in that sense.”
Next up is a familiar opponent: world No. 3 Alexander Zverev. The two will meet for the 14th time on tour, with Djokovic leading their head-to-head 8–5. Their most recent encounter came in the Australian Open semifinals in January, a match that ended after one set when Djokovic retired due to a hamstring injury — a moment met with boos from the crowd, though Zverev later came to his defense.
Their only previous showdown in Paris came in the 2019 quarterfinals, which Djokovic won in straight sets.
Zverev, 28, holds Djokovic in high regard both on and off the court and continues to speak of him with admiration.
“It’s always a privilege to be on court with him,” said the German, who considers Djokovic a mentor figure. / RSC