This is set to be one of the premier meetings on this year’s entre tennis calendar, with the best player in the world taking on the best player of all time for a place in this year’s Roland Garros final. This promises to be an engrossing intergenerational clash, with Djokovic chasing history and Sinner looking to change the narrative following his recent three-month doping suspension.
2025 ATP Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
French Open
Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France (Outdoor Clay)
Selected Semifinal- 6th June
Jannik Sinner (1) 0.22 vs Novak Djokovic (6) 3.2
Jannik Sinner
World No.1 Jannik Sinner continued his dominant form at this year’s championships, thrashing Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 to advance to his 2nd successive French Open semifinal (he was ousted by Carlos Alcaraz last year). Sinner was in cruise control against the enigmatic Kazakh, hitting 31 winners to 13 unforced errors despite only landing 58% of his first serves (crazy). Bublik got a little more joy in that 2nd set, throwing in some beautifully weighted drop-shots. But Sinner put his foot down in the 3rd, hitting with the type of depth and power that has turned this fortnight into a bit of procession. Sinner is yet to drop a set this tournament, dropping just 36 games in five matches (7.2 games a match). He has handed out three bagels and won three sets 6-1. His victory over Bublik improved his 2025 record to 17-1 (it also extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 19 matches).
Still, most of Sinner’s success has come on hardcourts (his lone clay-court title coming at the 2022 Croatian Open). He just reached his maiden Masters 1000 clay-court final in Rome and seems determined to extend his megalomaniacal dominance to the clay. He has adopted a new return position during this year’s French Open, closing his stance and using his front foot as the driving force. This has allowed him to be very aggressive on return (he created 14 break-point opportunities against Bublik). That, coupled with the relentless depth and power of his groundstrokes, will make him an understandable favourite going into this match.
Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is into a record-extending 51st Grand Slam semifinal after an exceptional comeback win against 3rd seed Alex Zverev. Djokovic triumphed 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, masterfully mixing up his tactics after dropping the first set (Djokovic also gained a bit of revenge, having withdrawn from their Aussie Open semifinal earlier this season). Djokovic used the wind to his advantage, throwing in slices and drop-shots to destabilize the power-hitting German. Djokovic served astutely, landing 71% of his first serves. He hit 42 winners to just 29 unforced errors in a magnificent display of courtcraft. The performance reminded me of his 2023 semifinal win over Alcaraz, where he diffused the youngster’s raw power with sound, economic tennis.
Djokovic is obviously looking to win his 25th Grand Slam title, moving clear of Margaret Court to become the most successful player in the history of the slams. He is also looking to break the recent Grand Slam hegemony of Sinner and Alcaraz (who have shared the last five slams). Djokovic hasn’t won a title since claiming Olympic Gold on these surfaces last year. His clay-court season started very poorly, with back-to-back opening round defeats in Monte-Carlo and Madrid. But he came into some form on the eve of this event, winning his 100th career title in Geneva. His win over Zverev extended his current winning-streak to nine matches (and his Roland Garros winning-streak to eleven matches).
The Verdict: Sinner to win in four sets at 2.35– These two have enjoyed an awesome rivalry, currently sitting with four wins apiece in the head-to-head stakes. This feels like it could be a true passing-the-baton type moment. Sure, Sinner and Alcaraz have already proven their Grand Slam pedigree. But victory for Sinner over Djokovic- on this surface- would feel like the symbolic end of the whole ‘Big-Three’ era (we are already in the death-rattle). Djokovic clearly still possesses the cunning to mix it up with anyone. I just think that Sinner’s relentless power and depth will push Djokovic’s renowned defensive prowess to the limit.
