sinner

French Open 2025: Jannik Sinner defeats Novak Djokovic to reach first Roland Garros final against Carlos Alcaraz | Tennis News

Danijones18 hours ago06 mins

Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets to move into the French Open final in Paris. (AP) Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) at the French Open semi-finals on Friday, setting up a final clash with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who advanced when Lorenzo Musetti retired due to injury. This victory marks Sinner’s first Grand Slam final appearance, while ending Djokovic’s quest for a record-breaking 25th major title.World number one Sinner maintained his impressive form, remaining undefeated in sets throughout the tournament. The match lasted three hours and 16 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“He is the best player in the history of our sport, playing against him here is amazing,” said Sinner. “Of course I try to not think about this but before coming on court you feel the tension.”The 23-year-old Italian showed remarkable composure, particularly when breaking back immediately after failing to serve out the second set. He hit 44 winners across the three sets and successfully defended three set points in the tenth game of the third set.Djokovic, at 38, remained resilient throughout the contest but ultimately couldn’t convert the crucial set points in the third set.“Obviously Wimbledon is next, which is my childhood favourite tournament,” said Djokovic. “I’m going to do everything possible to get myself ready. I guess my best chances maybe are Wimbledon, to win another Slam, or faster hard court, maybe Australia or something like that.”The Serbian champion reflected on his future at Roland Garros: “This could have been the last match ever I played here, so I don’t know. I don’t know really what tomorrow brings in a way at this point in my career. You know, I’m going to keep on keeping on.”In the other semi-final, Alcaraz advanced when Musetti retired with a leg injury while trailing 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0.“It’s never great to go through or win a match when it’s like this,” said Alcaraz. “He’s done an incredible clay season. I wish him all the best, a quick recovery and that he’ll be back soon.”The 22-year-old Spaniard, seeking his fifth Grand Slam title, expressed confidence ahead of the final: “It’s been three intense weeks and now I have one step to make. I’ll give everything on Sunday, I’ve been playing great tennis this tournament.”Sinner acknowledged the challenge ahead, considering his recent record against Alcaraz, who has won their last four encounters, including the Italian Open final following Sinner’s return from a three-month doping ban.“Sunday is going to be very difficult, I know my head-to-head lately doesn’t look great against Carlos but let’s see what I can do,” said Sinner.The upcoming final marks several significant milestones. It will be the first Grand Slam final between two players born in the 2000s, with neither finalist having lost a major final before.The tournament also features a rare occurrence where the top two seeds will contest both the men’s and women’s finals, with Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff set to compete for the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen on Saturday.Musetti’s semi-final match saw him take the first set before Alcaraz gained momentum. The Italian received treatment on his left thigh during the third set, where he managed only five points in 22 minutes before retiring early in the fourth set.

French Open 2025: Mentalist Novak Djokovic ready for physical Jannik Sinner battle | Tennis News

Danijones2 days ago06 mins

Novak Djokovic reacts to fans’ cheers during a quarterfinal match against Alexander Zverev during the French Open at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris. (AP) Paris:Novak Djokovic has many descriptors, but nothing quite typifies the 24-time Grand Slam champion like the word ‘Mentalist’. The 38-year-old likes to lift an exchange, take it beyond the chalked lines, to that space between the ears. It’s where most competitors shrink and shrivel, while some others simply shift gear into beast mode. That is the precise space where the sixth-seeded Novak Djokovic will hope to play the world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, when the duo face-off in the French Open semifinals on Friday. It’s the pair’s ninth meeting with the head-to-head locked at 4-4.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! “These kinds of matchups and challenges extract the best out of me. Playing best-of-five in the later stages of a Grand Slam, against the world No. 1, there can’t be greater motivation for me at this age,” Djokovic said. “I don’t think, how am I going to stop him? I think how am I going to execute what I want to do on the court?” Djokovic versus Sinner, the best player in history versus the No. 1 player in the world, is a dream semifinal. The matchup has everything — spice and ice, the romance of a clash between generations, energy and explosive edge versus 24-carat experience. In playing style, Sinner is the one who most resembles Djokovic from the younger cohort. His strengths are the same as the Serb, including the mental edge — only he’s 14 years younger. The Italian, 23, who returned to competition after serving a three-month ban for testing positive for Clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, has faced mixed reactions in the locker room since the tests were made public last August. There has been support, however slim, indifference too, but a majority of the players felt he received preferential treatment. “The two cases of Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner have attracted a lot of attention and it’s not a good image for our sport,” Djokovic said earlier this year. “A majority of the players don’t feel that (the process is) fair. It appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers.” Sinner has won all of the pair’s last three meetings, played in a span of 10 months, between November 2023 and October 2024. The matches were played on hardcourts, which is the preferred surface of both players, but the three-time Roland Garros champion, who achieved a 100th singles… played a 250 Series event in Geneva, where he clinched his 100th Tour-level title, checking a box, before arriving in Paris. “The win against Alcaraz in the quarters of the Australian Open, the win against Zverev (quarters, on Wednesday night) proves that I can still play at the highest level. I just hope that I will be able to physically keep up with Sinner.” “He has shown now in the last period that he is back to the level,” Sinner said of Djokovic’s form. “It’s going to be tactical and very, very difficult.” In the first of Friday’s semifinals, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz plays the world No. 7 Lorenzo Musetti. The 22-year-old Spaniard leads the head-to-head 5-1, having finished on top in their last five meetings. Four of the duo’s six matches have been played on outdoor clay.