World number one Sabalenka put in an error-strewn performance in a 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-4 loss to Gauff earlier this month.

The Belarusian said afterwards it was the “worst final I ever played”, adding: “I think she won the match not because she played incredible [but] just because I made all of those mistakes.”

Speaking 10 days on from the Paris final, Sabalenka said she “absolutely regretted” her remarks.

“That was just completely unprofessional of me. I let my emotions get the better of me,” the 27-year-old told Eurosport Germany.

“I’m just a human being who’s still learning in life. I think we all have those days when we lose control.

“I wrote to Coco afterwards – not immediately, but recently.”

Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam singles champion, has lost both of the major finals she has reached this year.

She lost to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final, where she was two-time defending champion, before the defeat by Gauff.

She committed 70 unforced errors against Gauff, one of the best defenders on the women’s tour, and struggled to keep her composure.

“I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference,” Sabalenka added.

“It took me a while to revisit it, to approach it with open eyes and to understand.

“I realised a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals? I kept getting so emotional.

“So it was a tough but very instructive lesson for me.”

Sabalenka begins her grass-court season at the Berlin Open, where she is the top seed, before Wimbledon gets under way on 30 June.

Errani and Paolini beat Kazakh Anna Danilina and Serb Aleksandra Krunic 6-4 2-6 6-1 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The Italian duo won Olympic gold on the same court in Paris last summer and have now added a first Grand Slam title together to their growing collection.

Paolini, 29, reached the women’s singles and doubles finals at last year’s French Open but lost in the fourth round of this year’s singles.

“I want to thank Sara,” Paolini said.

“It has been her last tournament in singles here and I want to say thank you very much. You are an inspiration for me.

“You are a great champion and a great person. You have made me a better player and it’s great to share these special moments with you. You are a legend.”

Errani, 38, previously said this would be her last time playing singles at Roland Garros and she ultimately lost in the second round of qualifying.

She had already completed the doubles Golden Slam – winning each of the four majors – but now boasts six Grand Slam titles to her name, including two at the French Open.

Errani also won the mixed doubles title alongside compatriot Andrea Vavassori on Thursday.

“This is the best court in the world, I have the best memories here and it’s so special for me,” Errani said.

“Sometimes you are not enjoying it 100% because you can’t stop and feel it, but right now I’m feeling it.

“I’m trying to realise what we are doing and it’s so big. Winning a Grand Slam is such a big thing.”

Second seeds Errani and Paolini had not dropped a set en route to the final but were taken the distance by Danilina and Krunic.

Errani and Paolini broke for a 4-2 lead in the first set but Danilina and Krunic hit straight back, restoring parity with a break of their own at the fifth attempt.

The Italians wrapped up a 55-minute set with a break of serve in the 10th game, signalling another routine victory could be on the cards.

But Danilina and Krunic came out fighting, earning two breaks to get on the board and force a decider.

That momentum was quickly wrestled away, though, when Krunic and Danilina were each broken on their first service games and their Italian rivals raced to the finish line.

Alcaraz’s reign on the Roland Garros clay looked to be over when world number one Sinner closed in on victory at 5-3 in the fourth set.

But the 22-year-old Spaniard showed extraordinary fight to win 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (10-2) after five hours and 29 minutes – the longest French Open final in history.

In an electrifying atmosphere on Court Philippe Chatrier, Alcaraz produced the finest performance of his career to claim a fifth major title.

In his victory speech, he told Sinner: “The level you have is amazing.

“It is a privilege to share a court with you in every tournament and in making history.”

Alcaraz is the first man to win a Grand Slam title after saving match point since Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in the 2019 Wimbledon final.

The world number two had never previously won a match after losing the opening two sets.

Sinner, bidding for a maiden Roland Garros triumph, was denied his third successive major after a gruelling, gritty and glorious encounter.

“It’s easier to play than talk now,” said the 23-year-old, who was playing in only his second tournament since returning from a three-month ban for failing two doping tests.

American second seed Gauff claimed a 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-4 victory after a tense battle between the WTA Tour’s two leading players in testing conditions.

It is the second Grand Slam singles triumph of Gauff’s career, adding to the US Open title she won in 2023, also by beating Belarus’ Sabalenka.

“I honestly didn’t think I could do it,” Gauff, 21, said during the trophy presentation.

Gauff recovered from a difficult start where she trailed by a double break, eventually finding her rhythm and benefiting from a huge number of mistakes from 27-year-old Sabalenka.

“This hurts so much. Congratulations to Coco – she was a better player than me,” said Sabalenka, who was also bidding for her first Roland Garros title.

A stiff breeze played havoc with serve in the opening two sets, leading to the pair exchanging 12 breaks in an entertaining if not high-quality affair.

Gauff, who lost in the 2022 final, settled quicker in the deciding third set to move a break up and kept her nerve to serve out victory.

She had to survive another break point before winning her second championship point, falling to the clay on her back when Sabalenka pushed a forehand wide.

With her parents Candi and Corey dancing euphorically in the stands, Gauff shared an affectionate hug with Sabalenka before running off court to celebrate with her family.

From tears of pain to tears of joy – Gauff’s redemption

Gauff’s previous appearance in the French Open singles showpiece, when she was still a teenager, ended in her covering her head with a towel as she sobbed on her chair.

It was the defining image of her defeat by Iga Swiatek, but she vowed to come back stronger – and she has.

“I was going through a lot of things when I lost here three years ago,” Gauff said.

“I’m just glad to be back here. I was going through a lot of dark thoughts.”

Three years on, Gauff returned to the final as a Grand Slam champion, having fulfilled the potential promised by winning in New York.

A productive clay-court swing, taking her to the Madrid and Rome finals, meant she arrived in Paris considered a sounder bet than defending champion Swiatek.

“Three finals… I guess I got the most important win – that’s all that matters,” said Gauff.

Only Sabalenka, who beat her to the Madrid title, had performed better and it was therefore unsurprising the top two seeds met again with the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen at stake.

The tricky conditions met neither woman was able to play their best tennis, but Gauff showed indefatigable spirit and will to win.

Like in 2022 after her defeat by Poland’s Iga Swiatek, there were more tears for Gauff – this time, ones of joy.

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Gauff is the first American to win Roland Garros since Serena Williams in 2015

Sabalenka falls short in clay quest

The consistency of Sabalenka across all surfaces over the past three years has been unparalleled.

After excelling on hard courts, she has developed her game to become a force on clay and grass.

By reaching the Paris last eight, Sabalenka was the first player to reach the quarter-finals at 10 consecutive Grand Slams since American great Serena Williams in 2017.

But she fell agonisingly short of landing her first major on the slower clay surface.

All three of her previous major triumphs came on the quicker hard courts at the Australian Open and US Open.

After collecting her runners-up prize, Sabalenka fought back tears and apologised to her team for “playing a terrible final”.

Like in her semi-final win over defending champion Swiatek, Sabalenka started aggressively and confidently to move a double break ahead.

She was a point away from a 5-1 lead but her dominance quickly disappeared as Gauff fought back.

Despite recovering from 5-3 down in the tie-break, Sabalenka continued to be animated and regularly chastised herself.

It meant she was unable to stem the flow of mistakes from her racquet, with a huge total of 70 unforced errors illustrating her difficulties.

A new women’s singles champion will be crowned either way, with world number one Sabalenka seeking a fourth major singles title and second-ranked Gauff a second.

Gauff, the US Open champion in 2023, finished runner-up in Paris three years ago, while two-time Australian Open winner and last year’s New York champion Sabalenka is in a first Roland Garros final.

The pair have five wins apiece from 10 previous meetings before going head-to-head on Court Philippe Chatrier, where the winner will take home 2.5m euros (£2.1m) and 2,000 ranking points.

Sabalenka and Gauff overcame two very different challenges in their respective semi-finals.

Underlining her position as title favourite, Sabalenka ended four-time champion Iga Swiatek’s 26-match run with an impressive three-set victory.

Gauff, meanwhile, was up against a partisan crowd but efficiently ended French wildcard Lois Boisson’s fairytale run in straight sets.

Sabalenka continues to show remarkable consistency at the sport’s highest level, with this her third successive major singles final.

The 27-year-old is the first woman to achieve that feat since the great Serena Williams nine years ago.

Sabalenka has competed in 10 tournaments this year, reaching seven finals, and she leads the WTA Tour with 40 wins in 46 matches.

Gauff, meanwhile, continues to emerge as a force to be reckoned with on clay.

The 21-year-old, bidding for her first title of the season, is the youngest woman to reach the finals at Madrid, Rome and the French Open in the same year.

With her run to the Roland Garros final, she has also become the youngest player to amass 70 wins at Grand Slam tournaments since Maria Sharapova in 2007.

Where will French Open women’s final be won and lost?

There is nothing to split Sabalenka and Gauff in the overall head-to-head record.

They each have one win at the majors, with Gauff defeating Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open final before Sabalenka took revenge in their Australian Open semi-final in 2024.

Both have a win each on clay, with Gauff prevailing in the Italian Open fourth round in 2021 and Sabalenka claiming a straight-set win in their most recent meeting in the Madrid final.

That victory in May perhaps gives Sabalenka a slight edge in Paris, given she has won three of their past four meetings.

But with half of their encounters going the distance – and both players losing just one set in their six matches so far – expectations are high for Saturday’s showpiece.

Known for her brutal hitting, Sabalenka has been typecast as a hard-court specialist throughout her career, with all three of her major singles titles won on that surface.

But she is ever adapting her game. Against Swiatek, she kept the key points short and stifled the clay-court expert’s game with devastating accuracy.

Asked how it would feel to win the French Open, Sabalenka said: “It’s going to mean everything to me and my team.

“Almost [my] whole life I’ve been told [clay] is not my thing and then I didn’t have any confidence.

“If I’ll be able to get this trophy, it’s going to mean the world for us.”

Gauff knows what to expect from Sabalenka – but overcoming that challenge is a different matter.

She will have to be at her best defensively to withstand Sabalenka’s power and try to draw her into longer rallies.

Holding her serve and keeping double faults to a minimum will be key to keeping pressure on Sabalenka and supply a platform for creating opportunities to build on her tournament-leading tally of converted break points (40).

“She’s going to come out aggressive, she’s going to come out swinging,” Gauff said.

“I think I just have to expect that and do my best to kind of counter that.

“Anything can happen on Saturday. I’m looking forward to it, and I’m glad to be going up against a world number one, too.”

Later on Saturday, British pair Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski contest the French Open men’s doubles final against Spain’s Marcel Granollers and Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos.

Italy’s Sinner won 6-4 7-5 7-6 (7-3) to end Djokovic’s hopes of winning a standalone record 25th Grand Slam title.

Djokovic, 38, looked emotional as he put his racquet bags down on Court Philippe Chatrier and waved farewell to an adoring crowd.

Defending champion Alcaraz moved into his second successive Roland Garros final after eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti retired injured in the fourth set of their semi-final earlier on Friday.

Sinner, playing only his second tournament back after a three-month ban for failing two doping tests, meets the Spanish second seed on Sunday.

The pair were the clear favourites before the clay-court Grand Slam tournament and will now write another chapter in their developing rivalry.

Alcaraz led 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-0 2-0 when Italy’s Musetti, aiming to reach his first major final, was forced to end the match early.

“It’s never fair. I want to win but not like this,” said Alcaraz.

Djokovic offers resistance but can’t find way past Sinner

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Novak Djokovic was bidding to become the oldest Grand Slam men’s champion in history

Age is clearly catching up with Djokovic – but the nature of this defeat showed just how much he still offers at the top of the game.

The Serb was aiming to become the oldest Grand Slam men’s singles champion by lifting the trophy on Sunday for a fourth time.

Djokovic’s quality and fight enabled him to stay within touching distance of the 23-year-old Sinner, who has taken the reins as the world number one.

Yet it still never truly felt like he would be able to snap his three-match losing streak against the nerveless Italian.

Djokovic tried a variety of tactics – baseline duels, drop-shots, serve and volley – but Sinner was virtually impossible to break down.

The constant pressure forced Djokovic into loose groundstrokes and badly-executed drop-shots in an opening set which swung Sinner’s way when he broke serve in the fifth game.

Djokovic’s level improved in the early part of the second set, with two holds to love followed by scrutiny on Sinner’s serve, but he could not find a way through.

An animated Djokovic roared at the crowd after saving a break point in the fifth game and looked up to the heavens in frustration when another poor return handed over the break in his next service game.

You can never completely count Djokovic out, though. He managed to break back for 5-5 before losing serve again as Sinner sealed a two-set lead at the second opportunity.

Djokovic needed treatment for an issue with his upper left leg before the third set, but Sinner is rarely fazed by any disruptions and soaked up most of what Djokovic threw at him.

That included saving three set points in a tense game at 5-4, where further drama was added by a disbelieving Djokovic arguing over a line call going against him at deuce.

Sinner quickly took control of the tie-break, helped by Djokovic smashing into the net for 3-0, to set up the tantalising meeting with Alcaraz – their first contest in a Grand Slam final.

Alcaraz’s biggest test ends early

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Carlos Alcaraz has won all three of his matches against Lorenzo Musetti this season

Alcaraz has not been at his clinical best during his title defence and Musetti promised to be his sternest test yet.

The pair have been the leading clay-court players on the ATP Tour this year, winning more matches than anyone else and going deep at the most important tournaments.

Two high-quality, competitive sets showed why.

But once Alcaraz levelled, he unleashed his attacking shots to devastating effect and also benefited from Musetti’s physical struggles.

Musetti needed treatment for a thigh problem at the end of the third set and it quickly became apparent he would struggle to continue.

Musetti reached the semi-finals of all three clay-court Masters before doing the same at Roland Garros.

But questions had still been raised about his mentality and whether he truly believed he could beat the very best on the biggest stage.

He had already lost twice to Alcaraz on clay this season – in Monte Carlo and Rome over three sets – but showed no signs of lacking faith as he took the opening set.

Sometimes accused of being too casual, Alcaraz fully locked in at the start of the second-set tie-break and took the third of his five set points to level the match.

Delicately poised, it was quickly ruined as a contest.

Musetti felt a problem in his left leg when serving and won just five points in a 22-minute third set.

After two visits from the physiotherapist, he still could not move freely and decided to shake hands with Alcaraz at the net.

With either Sinner or Alcaraz winning the trophy, it means the dominant pair have swept up the past six major titles between them.

Spanish second seed Alcaraz led 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-0 2-0 when Italy’s Musetti, aiming to reach his first major final, was forced to end the match early.

“It’s never fair. I want to win but not like this,” said Alcaraz.

Eighth seed Musetti needed treatment for a thigh problem at the end of the third set.

“When I was serving I started losing a bit of strength on the left leg and it was getting worse and worse,” the 23-year-old said.

“It was the right decision to make, but not what I wanted.”

The pair have been the leading clay-court players on the ATP Tour this year and showed why in two high-quality, competitive sets.

But once he levelled, 22-year-old Alcaraz unleashed his attacking shots to devastating effect to take control of the match.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, who won Roland Garros for the first time last year, will face either Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final.

Serb sixth seed Djokovic, 38, continues his bid for a standalone record 25th title when he faces Italian world number one Sinner later on Friday (18:00 BST).

Alcaraz said he would be tuning in for the match, adding: “I’m not going to miss it. This match is one of the best match-ups we have in tennis right now.

“It is going to be great tennis. I’m going to enjoy it. I’m going to take tactics from the match.”

Alcaraz’s biggest test ends early

Alcaraz has not been at his clinical best over the past fortnight and Musetti , 23, promised to be his sternest test yet.

While Alcaraz leads the men’s tour in terms of clay-court victories this season, Musetti is right behind him, having won 19 of his 23 matches on the surface.

The Italian reached the semi-finals of all three clay-court Masters before doing the same at Roland Garros. But questions had been raised about Musetti’s mentality and whether he truly believed he could beat the very best on the biggest stage.

He had already lost twice to Alcaraz on clay this season – in Monte Carlo and Rome over three sets – but showed no signs of lacking faith as he took the opening set.

In fact, it was Alcaraz who showed the first hint of nerves.

The set was going smoothly for the Spaniard until a poor service game allowed Musetti to take his first break point of the match on set point.

Alcaraz responded by breaking in the third game of the second set, but Musetti hit straight back to level for 2-2.

Musetti’s focus dipped as he lost serve in the 11th game – but it did not prove costly.

Alcaraz showed tension again with a double fault for 15-30 before Musetti used his stylish one-handed backhand to level again.

Sometimes accused of being too casual, Alcaraz fully locked in to start the tie-break and took the third of his five set points to level.

A delicately-poised match was ruined as a contest when it became apparent that Musetti was struggling.

Musetti won just five points in a 22-minute third set and could not move freely before shaking hands with Alcaraz at the net.

Players born in the 1990s were restricted to just two Grand Slam singles titles between them as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic diced up the major prizes for more than two decades.

Two players born after 2000 have captured seven major titles between them.

That is the current top two of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who are on a collision course in Paris.

But Novak Djokovic still looms large.

The 38-year-old faces Sinner – who is 15 years younger than him – in Friday’s first French Open semi-final, having become the oldest man to reach the last four since 1968.

“I think at the moment he’s a bit underrated,” world number three Alexander Zverev said after falling to Djokovic in four sets on Wednesday.

“I think a lot of people count him out already, but this year he’s had wins over Carlos at the Australian Open, he has beaten me at the French Open.

“Forget the age. For any player, those are pretty good results.”

Defending champion Alcaraz, meanwhile, will look to continue his recent dominance over Lorenzo Musetti in the second semi-final.

Image caption: Novak Djokovic is 14 years older than any of his fellow French Open semi-finalists

Djokovic is bidding for another slice of history. Win in Paris and he will secure a record-breaking 25th major singles title.

But no man has defeated the top three men’s players to win a major since the ATP rankings were introduced.

Djokovic is on a nine-match winning streak heading into the 51st major semi-final of his career. Victory in Geneva last month secured him the 100th tour-level title of his career – a timely confidence boost following a run of three successive defeats.

That run included consecutive opening-round defeats to begin his clay-court season, and the Olympic champion entered Roland Garros in the unusual position of sixth seed.

But he showed age is not inhibiting him as he won a 41-shot rally to save a break point in the fourth set on his way to beating Zverev in three hours and 18 minutes.

He displayed impressive variety to disrupt the German’s baseline dominance with drop shots and serve-and-volley tactics.

Sinner, however, will pose a sterner test.

While their head-to-head record stands at 4-4, the Italian has won their past three meetings.

The reigning US Open and Australian Open champion is on a 19-match winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments – the fourth longest this century after the Djokovic (30), Federer (27) and Nadal (25).

He is chasing history of his own at Roland Garros, seeking to become the first Italian man to win the tournament since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

In his 52nd week as world number one – despite serving a three-month doping suspension between February and May – Sinner could become the first man to win three consecutive majors since Djokovic in 2021.

With unshakeable consistency and devastating precision, Sinner is yet to drop a set this fortnight before attempting to break down arguably the greatest defensive player the game has seen.

Alcaraz looks to continue dominance over Musetti

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Carlos Alcaraz has won his past five matches against Lorenzo Musetti, including twice on clay this season in Monte Carlo and Rome

Alcaraz appears to have hit top gear at the perfect time.

After losing just five games in his straight-set quarter-final win over American Tommy Paul, the Spaniard said: “I could close my eyes and everything [would have gone] in.

“My feeling today was unbelievable. I was trying to hit every shot at 100% – not thinking about anything else, just hitting.”

The four-time major winner did not face a single break point in that match and will now target a sixth successive win over Musetti, having lost just one set in their previous five meetings.

Musetti, whose sole victory over Alcaraz came in their first meeting back in 2022, has risen to sixth in the live rankings after moving to the brink of a first major final.

The Italian will hope to offer greater resistance in their latest meeting after working to improve his serve in the off-season.

“We shortened a bit the motion to have more control, and then I got more confidence in what I was having as a motion,” Musetti said.

“Right now in really difficult situations, I make an ace or have my serve as a weapon, and it was a pretty big change for my game.”

The Belarusian snapped Swiatek’s French Open winning streak at 26 matches with a 7-6 (7/1), 4-6, 6-0 success and will face either second seed Coco Gauff or French surprise hero Lois Boisson on Saturday for the title.

“It feels incredible but also I understand that the job is not done yet. I’m just thrilled with the performance today,” said the 27-year-old.

“What can I say, 6-0 – it couldn’t be much more perfect than that!”

Sabalenka edged a topsy-turvy first set that featured eight breaks of serve in a tie-break, before Swiatek hit back to level the match.

The finale turned out to be a complete anti-climax, as Swiatek made 12 unforced errors in the third set and won only six points.

Sabalenka is targeting a fourth Grand Slam title and first not on hard courts, after winning last year’s US Open and the Australian Open back-to-back in 2023 and 2024.

Swiatek has still not reached a WTA final since lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen 12 months ago.

She showed signs of a revival on the Paris clay where she has dominated since lifting the title as a teenager in 2020, but her game deserted her in the deciding set as she slipped to only the third French Open defeat of her career.

Sabalenka has now won their last two meetings, and five of 13 in total.

This was the first time the pair, the dominant players in women’s tennis of the past few years, have gone head-to-head at a Grand Slam tournament since Swiatek’s win in the 2022 US Open semi-finals en route to the title.

Sabalenka will be a strong favourite to lift the trophy when she takes on either Gauff, who she lost to in the 2023 US Open final, or world number 361 Boisson.

 Sabalenka’s strong start 

Sabalenka roared out of the blocks as Swiatek double-faulted to give up a break in the very first game.

The top seed quickly built a 3-0 lead with a double-break, as Swiatek mustered only four points in the opening exchanges.

But Sabalenka’s hold in game two proved to be the only one until Swiatek cut the gap to 4-3 to stay within touching distance, before making it four successive games to edge in front.

Sabalenka did manage to create a chance to serve out the set, but unsurprisingly, Swiatek broke again to force a tie-break as the Belarusian lashed a groundstroke long.

The three-time Grand Slam champion finally got the first set on the board, though, blasting through the tie-break as Swiatek eventually cracked.

The breaks of serve kept coming in the second set, until Swiatek managed to hold for a 3-1 advantage.

The pair belatedly stabilised behind their serves, albeit too late for Sabalenka in the second set as Swiatek held to love to force a decider.

The four-time champion had never lost a three-set match at the French Open, but found herself sliding towards defeat as she slipped 2-0 behind in the third.

Swiatek, who has built a reputation for dishing out bagels, then wilted under the pressure in a disappointing final set that lasted just 22 minutes.

The 38-year-old sixth seed won 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 to set up a meeting with world number one Jannik Sinner on Friday.

Djokovic, who has three Roland Garros titles, lost the opening set to 2024 runner-up Zverev after being broken in the first game of the match.

But the Serb great did not drop serve again, although he had to survive a 41-shot exchange on break point at 3-2 in the fourth set on his way to sealing a record-extending 51st Grand Slam semi-final appearance.

“My way of playing is based on running, but at my age it’s not so easy to run so much,” said Djokovic, who is the second oldest man to reach the French Open semi-finals.

There he will face Sinner, who cruised into the last four with a ruthless straight-set victory over Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik earlier on Thursday.

The Italian is still yet to drop a set at Roland Garros after winning 6-1 7-5 6-0 and bringing 62nd-ranked Bublik’s remarkable run to an end.

Sinner is hunting a first title on the Paris clay after previously only gone as far as the semis, losing a five-set thriller to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz last year.

Djokovic or Sinner will meet the winner of defending champion Alcaraz and Italian eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti, who also play on Friday.

​​​​​​​Djokovic shows Grand Slam desire remains strong

While age is clearly catching up on Djokovic, his insatiable appetite for Grand Slam success shows no signs of slowing down.

A patchy season by his lofty standards has led to questions about his stamina and motivation, while the departure of rival-turned-coach Andy Murray from his team also indicated things were not functioning as he hoped.

But when the major tournaments come around, Djokovic is always still primed to challenge in the latter stages.

In Melbourne, he defied the odds to beat Alcaraz and reach the semi-finals, although the physical exertions led to a hamstring tear which meant he had to retire injured against Zverev in the last-four encounter.

Nevertheless, it showed he still had the desire and capability to beat the younger generation over the five-set format.

“I think the win against Alcaraz and against Zverev tonight proves to myself and others that I can still play at the highest level,” Djokovic said.

“I just thrive on these occasions. This is where I lock in and really give my best.”

Zverev, 28, was once part of the first crop expected to replace Djokovic, Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

This defeat was another illustration of how the German is often unable to problem-solve against Djokovic, who won four of his eight break points.

Often accused of being too passive, Zverev was rooted deep behind the baseline for much of the contest and paid the price as Djokovic took control with his craftmanship.

With belief or focus rarely wavering, the Serb started dictating the patterns of play and used the drop shot effectively to unsettle Zverev.

When the three-time Grand Slam runner-up finally thought his chance of a comeback had arrived midway through the fourth set, he was denied in arguably the point of the tournament.

Djokovic showed all his elasticity and endurance to stop Zverev putting the set back on serve.

It enabled Djokovic to serve out victory after three hours and 17 minutes as another deft drop shot, fittingly, caught out Zverev again.

Sinner marches on in commanding fashion

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Sinner is aiming for a first title at Roland Garros to add to his US Open and two Australian Open titles

The manner in which Sinner continues to tear his way through the draw – in only his second tournament back from a three-month ban for failing two doping tests – is an ominous sign for his rivals.

The 23-year-old world number one has been the dominant player on the ATP Tour over the past 18 months and, after reaching the Rome final last month, has simply carried on from where he left off.

Victory over Bublik extended Sinner’s winning run at the majors to 19 matches after triumphs at last year’s US Open and the Australian Open in January.

The Italian, who won the first of his three majors in Melbourne last year, needed only one hour and 51 minutes to dismantle the unorthodox Bublik.

After what he described as a “disgraceful” period in his career, Bublik’s surprise run at the French Open – in which he became the first Kazakh to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final – has seen him return to the top 50 in the rankings.

Refreshed from a recent trip to Las Vegas which proved to be a turning point in his form, Bublik has enjoyed his best run at Roland Garros and said his fourth-round win over British number one Jack Draper was the “best moment of my life”.

But a match against the world number one proved a bridge too far.

“We have faced each other a few times so I know him quite well, but with him [Bublik] you never know what’s happening,” said Sinner.

“He deserves to be in the quarter-finals, he beat very tough players. I tried to stay focused on my side and play as solidly as possible because he can have ups and downs so I tried to stay consistent.”

Sabalenka edged a tight quarter-final against China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 on a blustery Court Phillippe Chatrier on Tuesday.

Poland’s Swiatek then came through 6-1 7-5 against Elina Svitolina to set up a fascinating last-four encounter.

Belarusian Sabalenka replaced fifth-ranked Swiatek as world number one in October last year.

The pair have met 12 times, with Swiatek leading the head-to-head 8-4 – but they have not met at a major since the 2022 US Open semi-finals.

Swiatek has won four of the past five Roland Garros titles, while Sabalenka is bidding for her first Paris trophy.

“Aryna has a game for every surface, so I need to focus on myself, do the work, be brave in my shots and just go for it,” Swiatek said.

“It is going to be a tough match, but I’m happy for the challenge.”

‘A true battle’ – Sabalenka advances

For all that Swiatek has dominated the French Open in recent years, Sabalenka is the player to beat this time around.

She has won three titles this year – including one on the Madrid clay – and reached two further finals, as well as strengthening her grip on the top ranking.

But her three-set defeat by Madison Keys in the Australian Open final stung – and she looks on a mission to avenge that loss.

Zheng had cause for optimism. She snapped a six-match losing streak to Sabalenka on the Rome clay in May and ultimately started the better of the two.

However, the mistakes were the difference, with Zheng committing 31 unforced errors to Sabalenka’s 18 and winning just 39% of points behind her second serve.

Sabalenka was visibly unimpressed with the wind, her game and finding herself down an early break in the first set, but she generated enough rhythm to break back for 4-4.

The top seed dominated the eventual tie-break, taking it on a long whipped forehand from Zheng, and repeatedly battled back from 0-30 down in her service games to keep the second set close.

The pair exchanged breaks before Zheng played her worst game of the match to hurry Sabalenka along to a 4-3 lead.

Sabalenka’s quality then shone through as, with Zheng 40-0 up and serving to stay in the match, she hammered winners past her opponent to seal the match as quickly as possible.

“That was a true battle – I have no idea how I was able to get back into that first set,” Sabalenka said.

“I was ready to leave everything I have on court to win.”

‘Proactive’ Swiatek sees off Svitolina

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Iga Swiatek has won four of the past five Roland Garros titles

Swiatek’s struggles in the build-up to the French Open were well-documented, but there was always a chance her game would click into place in Paris.

Victory over Elena Rybakina in the fourth round, with Swiatek battling back from a set and a break down, will have been a welcome confidence boost.

Although the first set was closer than the scoreline suggested, once Swiatek broke there was an inevitability about it.

One of the best frontrunners, Swiatek saved break points in her first service game, broke and then reeled off five games in a row to deflate Svitolina.

Svitolina, who has added more attack to her game since her return from maternity leave, took a 3-1 lead with some powerful hitting early in the second set.

But Swiatek broke back in the next game and, just as Sabalenka did, capitalised on a wobbly Svitolina service game to regain the break lead and ultimately serve out the match.

“I wanted to be proactive and really lead in the game, so I’m happy I did that,” Swiatek added.

The 27-year-old has always had a complicated relationship with tennis, stating he hated the sport “with all my heart” in a 2020 interview.

After losing eight of his first 10 matches in 2025 and spiralling down the rankings, his coach suggested a new approach.

It was unconventional, to say the least. But the decision to practise less and head to Las Vegas has worked wonders.

On Wednesday, Bublik will look to extend his remarkable, unexpected French Open run by stunning world number one Jannik Sinner to reach a first Grand Slam semi-final.

He has already upset top-10 players Jack Draper and Alex de Minaur – all just weeks after he wanted to quit for good.

“My coach suggested a trip to Vegas. He’s like, if you [continue to] play like this, we’re just going to be out of tennis, [out] of the conversation,” Bublik said.

“I said, OK, if it goes well, it goes well. If not, thank you very much, tennis.”

It’s safe to say it worked.

Journey back from ‘disgraceful’ low

Stood with hands on hips, face covered in red clay after falling to the ground in joyous disbelief following his fourth-round win over Draper, Bublik lapped up the crowd’s adulation.

Eyes filled with tears, he told the crowd: “Sometimes in life, there’s only one chance. I had a feeling that that was mine and I couldn’t let it slip.

“Standing here, it’s the best moment of my life.”

What has made it even sweeter is how unexpected it all is.

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Alexander Bublik came back from a set down to beat Jack Draper 5-7 6-3 6-2 6-4

Bublik, currently ranked 62nd, is set to return to the top 50, only three months after dropping to 82 in the world.

“I was telling my coach I want to quit tennis because I can’t be 80 in the world, it feels disgraceful. I hated it,” Bublik told TNT Sports.

“I had no room to cry. If I have room to cry, I always will cry.

“When you have no options [left], this is how it works.”

The ‘Hangover-style’ Vegas reset

Bublik’s trip to Vegas – off the back of a first-round exit at Indian Wells in March – was never meant as a training exercise.

He told reporters it was “like a Hangover thing Vegas” – a reference to the 2009 comedy film.

“My fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practising,” said Bublik, who has been criticised for his on-court behaviour, external and racquet smashing.

“I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come. I got to the point of ‘OK, why am I sacrificing so much? For what?’

“It was a good three days [in Vegas]. I let it all out.

“I said, I’m useless now, I can’t win a match, so let it be – let’s see how it goes.”

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Bublik is the lowest-ranked man to beat two top-10 opponents at Roland Garros since the 100th-ranked Andrei Medvedev beat Pete Sampras and Gustavo Kuerten to reach the 1999 final

Bublik then went from Vegas to Phoenix, Arizona, for a Challenger event, landing just five hours before his first match.

He went on to make the final, denied only by talented teenager Joao Fonseca. Two months later, he won the title in Turin.

But it is in Paris where he has truly shone. Armed with a remarkable range of shot-making, including an utterly devastating drop-shot, he has thrilled the crowds on his way to his best Slam result.

‘We just have to be ourselves’

Bublik, who has a two-year-old son, has long been clear that tennis is not everything.

“Tennis is 50% of my life. I have other parts – being a dad, being a friend – which have the same importance to me,” he said.

“I will not put my health on the line. I’m not going to fight through injuries.

“If you tell me I will win a Slam but won’t be able to walk by 40, I’m not going to take the Slam.”

That freedom has helped Bublik become the lowest-ranked man to earn two wins over top-10 opponents at Roland Garros since 1999.

None of his four ATP Tour-level titles or 11 finals have come on clay – a surface on which his 41% win rate before this French Open represented his lowest across all surfaces.

But Bublik is, crucially, enjoying his time on court – and is all the more dangerous for it.

“I’m the guy you can see having a nice time down the street in Paris in the evening before a match,” Bublik added.

“I’m social. I can skip practice if I don’t feel [it]. I think it’s pretty normal.

“This craziness that social media put in us, that we have to be the best version of ourselves?

“No – we just have to be ourselves.”

The second seed needed only 53 minutes to establish a two-set lead, losing only one game in the process.

American Paul offered plenty of resistance during a more competitive third set, but Alcaraz, 22, broke again for a 5-4 lead and quickly wrapped up a 6-0 6-1 6-4 victory.

The Spaniard will face 23-year-old Lorenzo Musetti for a place in Sunday’s final.

The Italian eighth seed defeated Frances Tiafoe 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-2 earlier on Tuesday and is into a Grand Slam semi-final for the second time in his career, having reached the Wimbledon last four in 2024.

Tiafoe, the first American to feature in a French Open quarter-final for 22 years, fought back to take the second set after Musetti dominated the opener.

But the 15th seed fell away after losing a gruelling third set and could not keep up with Musetti’s graceful but punishing style.

‘Magnificent’ Alcaraz steps up several levels

Speaking on court after his match, Alcaraz jokingly apologised to the crowd that they had seen only 94 minutes of tennis during Tuesday’s evening session on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

But those watching could have few complaints about the quality of play they witnessed from the world number two, who said it was “one of those matches where everything went in”.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former British number one Greg Rusedski described the defending champion’s performance as “magnificent” and this was a “statement” win.

Alcaraz had been taken to four sets by his previous three opponents in Paris, but the four-time Grand Slam champion stepped things up several levels with a supreme display against Paul.

His mixture of powerful groundstrokes, deft lobs and drop shots proved far too strong early on for the 28-year-old American, whose run to the last eight was his best-ever showing at Roland Garros.

Paul had no answer until the third set when his serve was much stronger, but he did not have a break point during the match. Alcaraz had 17 and converted six of them.

‘Extra responsibility’ helping Musetti grow

Alcaraz has already beaten semi-final opponent Musetti twice on the clay this year – in a semi-final in Rome and the final in Monte Carlo.

However, those are two of only three defeats Musetti has suffered during an excellent clay-court season, with his record this year on the surface now at 19 wins.

With a self-confessed “retro style”, he is one of the few players on tour with a one-handed backhand, which he says has come naturally since picking up a racquet as a child.

In the build-up to his quarter-final, he said he was “in the best period of his life” and that joy has been compounded by news that his partner Veronica is pregnant with their second child.

Tuscany-born Musetti said becoming a father to their son, Ludovico, in March last year changed his attitude on court and he has since been able to “play and do better”.

After his victory over Tiafoe, he said: “It’s a process of growing, not just inside the court but especially off the court.

“Last year I became a father. I think that gave me an extra responsibility and I now approach things in a more professional way, not just on the court in matches but in my daily routine.

“It’s important for me to be in order, when I practice and in my free time I enjoy my time with my family. Even if they are not here they are always with me in my heart, so this win is for them.”

In the second set of his last-eight match, the Italian hit a line judge with a ball he had kicked away.

He received a warning for the incident, with rules stating players only receive a default if the action causes “clear harm”.

Djokovic, bidding for a standalone record 25th Grand Slam singles title, beat Norrie 6-2 6-3 6-2.

Norrie, playing in the last 16 at Roland Garros for the first time, was looking for another scalp in Paris after stunning 11th seed Daniil Medvedev in the first round.

However, the world number 81 never seriously looked like causing an upset against the 38-year-old great.

If Norrie had taken his chances – particularly in a second set where he led by a break – it would have applied more pressure on the Serb.

Sixth seed Djokovic will face third seed Alexander Zverev next – having lost to the German in January’s Australian Open semi-finals after suffering a hamstring injury.

Jack Draper’s loss in four sets to Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik later on Monday ended British interest in the singles in Paris.

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Norrie is only the fourth British man – after Greg Rusedski, Tim Henman and Andy Murray – to reach the last 16 at all four majors in the Open era

Coming into the French Open, Norrie said he had been playing some of his best tennis, describing his level as similar to when he was a top-10 player back in 2022.

It raised eyebrows – but he proved to be right.

A memorable five-set win over former world number one Medvedev set the tone, followed by victories against Argentine qualifier Federico Gomez and fellow Scot Jacob Fearnley, who replaced him as British number two earlier this year.

Facing Djokovic was a different proposition.

Norrie had lost all five of his previous meetings with the three-time French Open champion, including a three-set defeat in the Geneva Open 10 days ago.

He was quickly outmanoeuvred in the first set and, after Djokovic needed medical treatment on foot blisters, the British number three could not maintain an early break in the second.

Crucially, Norrie could not convert more chances, with Djokovic saving break points in lengthy service games at 2-2 and 3-3.

The former world number one then raced away with the final set, breaking early and reeling off five games in a row before serving out victory.

Despite not being able to end his miserable run against Djokovic, Norrie will take a great deal of satisfaction from the clay-court swing.

Earlier this year he had been in danger of tumbling out of the world’s top 100 after a difficult couple of years struggling for form and fitness.

But a reinvigorated Norrie will now move back into the top 60 when he starts the grass-court season back in the UK.

The American, 21, dismantled Russian 20th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-0 7-5 in Paris.

The opening set lasted 29 minutes, with Gauff dropping just five points across the first five games.

It is the fifth consecutive year 2022 runner-up Gauff has reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.

She will face the winner of the all-American fourth-round meeting between Australian Open champion Madison Keys and Hailey Baptiste.

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva also progressed to the last eight in straight sets.

The sixth seed defeated Australian 17th seed Daria Kasatkina 6-3 7-5 and will play either American third seed Jessica Pegula or French wildcard Lois Boisson next.

Red-hot start helps Gauff to victory

Gauff made a commanding start against Alexandrova but came under pressure as she served for the first set.

She had to withstand five break points in a sixth game lasting almost 10 minutes before she eventually converted her third set point.

Gauff was the first to face break points in a competitive second set but struck first against an improving opponent to lead 4-3.

Alexandrova, competing in the fourth round in Paris for the first time, offered resistance with an immediate response – but Gauff finished the stronger and sealed victory with a run of three straight games.

It is a fourth consecutive straight-set win for Gauff at this year’s tournament. She has also become the youngest player to reach as many as five women’s singles quarter-finals at a single major since Venus Williams at the 2001 US Open.

‘I hate playing her’ – Andreeva battles past Kasatkina

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Mirra Andreeva reached the French Open semi-finals last year

At 18, Andreeva is the youngest player to reach back-to-back women’s singles quarter-finals at Roland Garros since Martina Hingis in 1998.

And she did so with victory against an opponent she admitted she does not like to practise with, let alone face for a place in a major quarter-final.

Andreeva edged a close first set with an assured service game after she broke Kasatkina’s serve in the eighth game.

She then battled back impressively from 5-3 down in the second set, winning four straight games to close out the match.

“It was a hell of a match,” said Andreeva, who lost to Kasatkina in the Ningbo final last year in China.

“Honestly I’m so so happy I won, I hate playing against her.

“We practise a lot and even practice is a torture for me.”

The Italian top seed blew the Czech world number 34 away inside one hour and 35 minutes with a 6-0 6-1 6-2 victory.

Sinner won 11 games in a row to start the match, dropped only nine points on serve and hit 31 winners to nine unforced errors in a classy performance.

The win extended Sinner’s winning streak against players ranked outside the top 20 to 64 successive matches.

“After today I don’t think there’s much I can improve but every opponent is different,” three-time major champion Sinner said.

“This morning I said to my team I’m feeling well and physically ready. We had to go hard in the beginning because the beginning is very important for confidence.”

Sinner, bidding for a first French Open title, will play 17th seed Andrey Rublev for a place in the quarter-finals.

Russia’s Rublev advanced when France’s Arthur Fils withdrew before their match with injury.

Sinner has won the past two Grand Slams, triumphing on the US Open and Australian Open hard courts, and his merciless dismantling of Lehecka underlined his status as the man to beat.

The Italian controlled the action from the baseline and showed great athleticism as he moved around the court.

Sinner started on the front foot, making just one unforced error in a 23-minute first set.

Lehecka finally got on the board for 3-1 in the second set – and was greeted by huge cheers from the crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Lehecka, who remained in good spirits despite the scoreline, responded by smiling and raising both arms in the air in celebration.

It was a rare moment of joy for Lehecka, who only won two more games as Sinner continued his sprint towards the finish line, stamping his authority on the performance with an emphatic serve and volley on match point.

The 21-year-old beat 18-year-old Czech Valentova 6-2 6-4 to advance.

American second seed Gauff reached the singles final at Roland Garros in 2022 but fell in straight sets to ‘Queen of Clay’ Iga Swiatek.

Gauff has now won 12 of her past 14 matches, including reaching finals on the clay in Madrid and Rome.

However, she was made to work in the final set, with the pair exchanging nine breaks of serve before Gauff held for a 5-4 lead.

She then broke Valentova to 15 to secure victory and set up a third-round meeting with Marie Bouzkova.

Gauff won her first major singles title at the US Open in 2023 and also claimed the Roland Garros women’s doubles title alongside Katerina Siniakova last year.

American third seed Jessica Pegula progressed with a 6-3 7-6 (7-3) victory over compatriot Ann Li.

Pegula documented her subway trips to the US Open last year and has done the same in Paris, taking the Metro to Roland Garros during the week.

“Nobody recognised me at all. Nobody cared in that sense,” the 31-year-old laughed.

“It was definitely very nice, very clean. A lot more relaxed than when I took the subway in New York. That’s, like, an experience.

“Paris, it was really easy, super chill, very clean. I didn’t have to go that far.

“I want to see if I can maybe take some players and do a couple of those in the future.”

Teenager Mirra Andreeva, a semi-finalist in Paris last year, was a 6-3 6-4 winner against American Ashlyn Krueger.

Former Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova advanced on day five, beating Poland’s Magdalena Frech 6-0 4-6 6-3, but defending SW19 champion Barbora Krejcikova lost 6-0 6-3 to Veronika Kudermetova in 74 minutes.

World number one Sinner was ruthlessly efficient as he brought the curtain down on Frenchman Richard Gasquet’s career and advanced to the third round.

Sixth seed Djokovic was troubled by a blister but continued his bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title with a straight-set victory over Corentin Moutet.

But while Sinner and Djokovic advanced, two of the top-20 players in the men’s draw were knocked out in marathon matches.

‘You hope the day never comes’ – Sinner ends Gasquet’s career

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Richard Gasquet made his French Open debut in 2002

Italy’s three-time major winner Sinner extended his winning streak against players ranked outside the top 20 to 63 matches.

In doing so, he brought an end to Gasquet’s playing career, 23 years after the 38-year-old made his Roland Garros debut.

Sinner claimed a commanding 6-3 6-0 6-4 win over Gasquet but the day was still Gasquet’s, with the Frenchman addressing the adoring crowd and accepting a commemorative trophy.

“I’ve thought a lot about this day, you hope it never comes, but today is it,” Gasquet said.

“I can’t dream of anything better than standing on this incredible court, the most beautiful court in the world.”

​​​​​​​Djokovic overcomes blister complication

Later in the day, 38-year-old Djokovic continued his recent good form with a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-1) victory against France’s Moutet.

Djokovic came to Roland Garros, where he is a three-time champion, on the back of winning his 100th ATP singles title in Geneva last week and maintained his good from against Moutet, winning in just over three hours.

The only potential blip for Djokovic was needing a medical timeout for a blister on his left foot in a tight third set.

The Serb was able to carry on and, after saving a set point to force the tie-break, clinched victory.

“Things got a little bit complicated with the blister,” said Djokovic. “That was bothering me for a bit.

“But I don’t think it’s going to be an issue for me to recover.”

He will face Filip Misolic after the Austrian overcame Canadian 27th seed Denis Shapovalov in a marathon five-set match.

Meanwhile, German third seed Alexander Zverev bounced back from losing the first set to secure a 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-3 victory over Dutchman Jesper de Jong.

‘I was checking tickets home’ – five-set thrillers

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Alexander Bublik is the first player from Kazakhstan to reach the men’s singles third round in Paris

Australian world number nine Alex De Minaur and Czech 19th seed Jakub Mensik both exited Roland Garros on Thursday – and both after winning the first two sets.

De Minaur lost 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2 to 62nd-ranked Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, a talented but often temperamental payer.

Bublik said afterwards he had already accepted defeat before mounting a comeback.

“I was checking the tickets [home] already in my head. I didn’t really care, in a way. I was like I will accept the loss,” the 27-year-old said.

“It was a bit early for me. I was a bit sleepy in the first two sets. So it was key to wake up and then to play one of the best Slam matches that I ever played in my life.”

Bublik will now face Portugal’s world number 200 Henrique Rocha, who surprisingly beat Mensik.

Rocha, who came through qualifying and had never won a main-draw match at a major before this year’s French Open, triumphed 2-6 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-3 against talented 19-year-old Mensik.

Fils battles through injury to win rollercoaster

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: French number one Arthur Fils had never gone beyond the first round at the French Open before this year

Home hope Arthur Fils came through a gruelling four-and-a-half-hour match against Spain’s Jaime Munar, despite being unable to move at one point because of a back injury.

The 20-year-old required treatment during the third set and looked down and out after the fourth set.

But after taking painkillers, and roared on enthusiastically by the French supporters, the 14th seed fought back from a break down in the decider to compete victory.

Fils ripped off his shirt as he celebrated the 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 0-6 6-4 victory and lapped up the applause from the crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

“This is my best match of all time” Fils said.

“I have had some difficult matches but this one is the best five-set match that I have ever played. I could have lost this match.

“I was lucky. But it’s going to be one of my best five-set matches ever of my life.”

Norrie had not beaten a top-20 player since January 2024 and had lost all four of his previous matches against Medvedev – including a meeting in Rome earlier in May.

The world number 81 started superbly but had to withstand a Medvedev fightback, with the Russian frequently switching from irate to dialled in as he forced a fifth set.

Norrie then battled back from a break down in the decider to win 7-5 6-3 4-6 1-6 7-5 in just under four hours.

Later, Sonay Kartal joined Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter in the third round with a dominant victory over Erika Andreeva on her French Open debut.

It is the first time since 1973 that six Britons have reached the second round at Roland Garros.

Medvedev served for the match at 5-4 in the fifth but could not hold off Norrie, who then won three games in a row to seal victory.

Norrie had also recovered from a break down in the opener and kept his cool as Medvedev ranted at his box throughout the first two sets.

Norrie launched his racquet into the air in celebration after a long Medvedev forehand confirmed his victory.

“There wasn’t a lot on my mind on match point,” Norrie, 29, said.

“I felt that he was a little tentative but honestly, it was a crazy match.

“I think I deserve a diploma for beating Medvedev because he’s beaten me the last four times. It was an unreal match.”

The Briton will face Argentine lucky loser Federico Gomez for a place in the third round.

Medvedev will say at almost every available opportunity that clay is not his favourite surface – but that takes nothing away from Norrie, who was outstanding.

Hitting with depth and pummelling his forehand in particular, he stuck in the rallies with the defensive Medvedev and returned serve well.

He went a break down in the first set but capitalised as Medvedev tightened up when serving for it – as the Russian would do again at the end of the match.

After taking the opener, Norrie marched out to a 4-0 lead in the second, with Medvedev yelling at himself and his coach in French and frequently gesticulating to his box.

Brave hitting gave Norrie a two-set lead before Medvedev found his focus, cutting out the theatrics and racing through two sets to force a decider.

Having broken Norrie in the third game, all the energy was with Medvedev – but an error-strewn service game as he tried to secure victory gave the initiative back to Norrie.

Norrie then held serve confidently and, stepping in to the court to put pressure on Medvedev, managed to avoid a match tie-break.

In the men’s doubles, British sixth seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash fought back to beat Australia’s Rinky Hijikata and Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6 6-2 6-3 in their first-round match.

Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski also advanced, seeing off German-Russian pairing Andreas Mies and Roman Safiullin 6-2 6-4.

However, Emily Appleton and her Spanish partner Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers lost 7-5 6-4 to Mexico’s Renata Zarazua and Alexandra Eala of the Philippines.

The names roll off the tongue for the modern-day tennis fan as quickly as John, Paul, George and Ringo do for a Beatles geek.

This fab four – or the Big Four as they are known – of the ATP Tour’s post-millennium golden era are not seen together much these days, with Rafael Nadal becoming the third of the group to retire at the end of last year.

But he, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray reunited on Sunday as the French Open gave an emotional farewell to its 14-time champion.

“After all these years fighting for everything, it’s unbelievable how time changes the perspective of things,” an emotional Nadal, 37, told his rivals-turned-friends after they strode out to join him on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“All the nerves, pressure, strange feelings when you see each other when you’re rivals, it’s completely different when you finish your career.

“We built amazing rivalries but I think in a good way, we fought hard for titles but were good colleagues and respected one another.

“It means a lot that you’re all here. I really enjoyed a lot pushing myself to the limit every single day to compete with all of you.”

Image source: Getty ImagesImage caption,

Nadal cradled his son Rafael Junior on his way out of Court Philippe Chatrier

Federer, who famously held hands with Nadal as they cried during the final match of the 43-year-old Swiss’ career, received the first warm embrace, with hugs for Djokovic and Murray following.

Djokovic, 38, arrived in Paris just hours earlier after winning the 100th title of his career on Saturday, while Briton Murray laughed afterwards he had thought he would be at the ceremony in his role as the Serb’s coach.

Their partnership came to an end earlier this month, resulting in French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo asking 38-year-old Murray if he could still make it.

“I didn’t know they would be here – but I could imagine they would come,” Nadal said.

“The agendas of people sometimes are difficult. But of course they know that [being there] would make the day very special for me.”

Murray travelling to Paris from London and back on Sunday was a measure of his respect and appreciation for Nadal, who he became friends with when they were juniors.

“What he went on to achieve was amazing, particularly here,” Murray told a small group of reporters.

“People say it all the time with records but I genuinely think that this one, I would be really very, very surprised if that gets broken.

“It is going to stand the test of time I think.

“He’s an amazing, amazing player, a great guy, and it was great to see him have a proper send-off.”

Nadal later gave an amusing anecdote which offered further insight into his friendship with Murray.

“After Arsenal beat Real Madrid [in the Champions League], he messaged me.

“I’ll read it out to you: ‘Hey Rafa, I haven’t spoke to you in a while – just checking in to make sure you are OK’.

“It took me five seconds to realise what I was reading. I thought ‘he’s such a nice guy’. This British sense of humour. By the way – I didn’t text him back when PSG beat Arsenal.”

How Roland Garros paid tribute to ‘King of Clay’

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Nadal was overcome by emotion and filled up with tears on several occasions during the ceremony

Nadal played the bulk of his 115 French Open matches on Court Philippe Chatrier and won each of his 14 titles on the most famous clay court in the world.

Six months after the final match of his career at the Davis Cup Finals in Spain, he returned for a special farewell.

Nadal matches on Chatrier used to be a sea of Spanish red and yellow. On Sunday, the colour scheme was Roland Garros terracotta.

Each ticketholder was handed a T-shirt on their way into the 15,000-seater stadium, creating a palette which matched the colour of the surface which Nadal dominated for so long.

Even before Nadal appeared for the 50-minute ceremony, the chant of “Rafa! Rafa! Rafa!” rang out as his adoring audience waited for his arrival.

The majority rose to their feet when a suited-and-booted Nadal walked out, including Carlos Alcaraz – long seen as the heir to Nadal’s crown – and reigning women’s champion Iga Swiatek.

A lengthy round of applause lasting more than a minute followed. It left Nadal overcome with emotion, biting his lip and wiping his mouth as he absorbed the acclaim.

After watching a showreel of the iconic memories he made at Roland Garros, Nadal paid tribute to his family – who were sat in the front row of the presidential suite – the tournament and the French fans.

Towards the end of a speech conducted in Spanish, French and English, Nadal could not hold back the tears any more.

He sniffled through a message of thanks to one specific family member – his uncle Toni, the man who taught him tennis from the age of three and coached him to 16 of his 22 major titles.

Following the cameo of Federer, Djokovic and Murray, there was still time for one more surprise. Mauresmo and French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton unveiled a silver plaque, featuring Nadal’s footprint, next to the Chatrier net post.

“It was perfect. I could not have expected a more emotional day. It was unforgettable with plenty of emotions,” Nadal said.

“For a guy like me, who does not like these sort of things, I am still a bit shy and don’t like to be the centre of attention. But I enjoyed it a lot.”

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: The presence of Rafael Nadal’s family – father Sebastian, mother Ana Maria, wife Mery, son Rafael Junior and sister Maribel – has been constant throughout his career

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Reigning French Open champions Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek were among the 15,000 crowd watching the ceremony

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: ‘Merci Rafa’ was printed on the commemorative T-shirts given to the crowd

Japan’s Osaka, 27, won her first title in almost two years earlier this month following a maternity break in 2023.

Against Badosa she saved a set point before dominating the first-set tie-break, but the Spanish 10th seed showed resilience to fight back and win 6-7 (1-7) 6-1 6-4.

Osaka briefly left her news conference to compose herself after becoming upset.

“As time goes on, I feel like I should be doing better. I hate disappointing people,” said an emotional Osaka, who is working with Patrick Mouratoglou – the long-time coach to Serena Williams.

“So even with Patrick, I was thinking this just now, but he goes from working with the greatest player ever to…this? You know what I mean?”

The four-time Grand Slam champion has not gone past the third round of a major since her return to the WTA Tour after the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023.

She called a medical timeout after the end of the first set against Badosa as she struggled with blisters on her fingers during the match.

“Since Rome, I have had blisters on my hands. I think it’s from the friction of clay, because I don’t have blisters on any other surface,” Osaka said.

Ninth seed Navarro suffers 6-0 6-1 upset

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Emma Navarro reached the fourth round at the French Open last year

Earlier on Monday, ninth seed Emma Navarro exited the tournament after just 57 minutes as she suffered a 6-0 6-1 thrashing by Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Navarro, a semi-finalist at last year’s US Open, did not hold serve all match in a wayward performance on the second day in Paris.

Up 6-0 5-0, Bouzas Maneiro was attempting to become the first woman to beat a top-10 player 6-0 6-0 at a Grand Slam since the 1989 US Open, when Martina Navratilova crushed world number seven Manuela Maleeva.

But Navarro got on the board and avoided a ‘double bagel’ scoreline with help from a double fault by the 68th-ranked Bouzas Maneiro.

Earlier this year, Navarro became only the fifth player this century to win a WTA final 6-0 6-0 with victory over Emiliana Arango at the Merida Open in Mexico.

But the American was broken seven times, claimed just 30 of the 86 total points and won only 44% of her first-serve points.

Navarro was also hindered by 23 unforced errors compared to just four winners.​​​​​​​

Garcia bids emotional farewell to Paris

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Caroline Garcia’s best Grand Slam singles result was reaching the US Open semi-finals in 2022

Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia’s final French Open singles appearance ended in the first round as the former world number four lost 6-4 6-4 to American Bernarda Pera.

An emotional Garcia, 31, shed a tear as she waited to walk out on to Court Suzanne Lenglen for her 15th and final appearance in the women’s singles at Roland Garros.

Having made her debut in 2011, her best result at her home Slam was a quarter-final showing in 2017.

“Stress and the desire to do well have often gotten in my way, especially here at Roland Garros, where I experienced some difficult moments,” Garcia said on court.

“I’ve always tried to give my all, and I’ve always dreamed of winning this singles tournament.

“Unfortunately, I never achieved it, but all these moments shared with you will remain etched in my memory forever.”

Elsewhere, three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek also advanced to set up a meeting with Britain’s Emma Raducanu.

Australian Open winner and seventh seed Madison Keys dropped just three games as she cruised past qualifier Daria Saville in 58 minutes in a 6-2 6-1 victory.

Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, seeded 12th, overcame a second-set wobble to beat Argentine qualifier Julia Riera 6-1 4-6 6-4.

Daria Kasatkina claimed her first Grand Slam match win as an Australian, after switching allegiance from Russia, with a 6-1 3-6 6-3 win against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.

Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova claimed her first win of 2025 by beating Tatjana Maria 7-6 (7-4) 6-3, while 22nd seed Jelena Ostapenko fought back to win 5-7 6-0 6-2 against Russian Polina Kudermetova.

It is the first Roland Garros since Rafael Nadal – the man who won 14 singles titles and is synonymous with the tournament – retired.

His abdication means there is a chance for a new ‘King of Clay’ to be crowned.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz has long been the heir apparent and goes into this year’s event as the slight favourite.

The 22-year-old defending champion is a natural clay-courter with a 15-1 win-loss record on the surface this year – and, perhaps crucially, more match practice than rival Jannik Sinner.

Italy’s Sinner is the other standout candidate.

The world number one has dominated over the past 18 months but only recently returned from a three-month doping ban.

Sinner dropped just one set in reaching the Italian Open final, including a ruthless quarter-final thrashing of two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud.

But Sinner was put in check by world number two Alcaraz in the final, with many expecting a repeat of it in the Paris showpiece on 8 June.

Who could stop Alcaraz and Sinner?

If it isn’t a battle royale between Alcaraz and Sinner, then it is difficult to look beyond the other leading seeds.

Novak Djokovic is bidding again for a standalone record 25th Grand Slam singles title but the Serb great, who turned 38 on Thursday, has looked short of motivation recently.

However, a welcome run to the Geneva final could be the boost the three-time Paris champion needs.

British number one Jack Draper demonstrated his clay-court credentials, reaching the Madrid final and Rome quarter-finals, suggesting he is capable of reaching at least the fourth round for the third successive major.

Norwegian seventh seed Ruud, who lost to Nadal and Djokovic in the 2022 and 2023 finals, reiterated his clay-court expertise by beating Draper to win the Madrid title.

And don’t forget German third seed and last year’s runner-up Alexander Zverev.

Zverev has reached at least the semi-finals in the past four editions in Paris and is regaining confidence after again falling short of a first Grand Slam title in January.

Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti – an elegant player with a one-handed backhand – also has the natural ability on clay to mount a challenge.​​​​​​​

Which other Britons are playing?

Along with Draper, Jacob Fearnley and Cameron Norrie have direct entry into the main draw.

Fearnley, 23, will make his French Open debut after a stunning rise over the past year for the former Texas Christian University student.

Ranked 53rd in the world after less than a year as a professional, he played his first ATP Tour clay match in April and has won 8 of his 13 matches since.

Former world number eight Norrie, by contrast, has dropped down the rankings, but had a welcome run to the Geneva Open semi-finals in the days before Roland Garros.

In doubles, Britain’s Henry Patten and Finn partner Harri Heliovaara are aiming for their third Grand Slam title together in 12 months, having won Wimbledon and the Australian Open.

Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski are also in the draw, alongside Jamie Murray and American partner Rajeev Ram.

Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid will compete in the wheelchair singles and doubles, with Andy Lapthorne in the quad singles.

The 22-year-old, who was thrashed by Swiatek at January’s Australian Open, must first beat China’s Wang Xinyu in Paris.

British men’s number one Jack Draper plays Italy’s Mattia Bellucci in his opening match, with top-ranked Jannik Sinner a potential quarter-final opponent.

Italy’s Sinner, who has recently returned from a three-month doping ban, will start against France’s Arthur Rinderknech.

Defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz opens against Japan’s former world number four Kei Nishikori.

Novak Djokovic, who is aiming for a standalone record 25th Grand Slam, has been pitted against American Mackenzie McDonald.

The draw was conducted at Roland Garros on Thursday, with France and Paris St-Germain footballer Ousmane Dembele picking out the names, before the clay-court Grand Slam begins on Sunday.

All eyes on who struggling big names could face

Swiatek has dominated the women’s singles with four titles in the past five years, but comes into the clay-court major in uncertain form.

The Pole has not won a tournament this year and has dropped to fifth in the world – meaning she could face the leading players earlier than usual.

All eyes were on which quarter Swiatek would land in, with Italian fourth seed Jasmine Paolini – who Swiatek beat in last year’s final – her potential last-eight opponent.

To get that far, though, she might have to see off Raducanu and 11th seed Elena Rybakina – another former Grand Slam champion – in the fourth round.

Djokovic, perhaps not surprising as age catches him up, has also been well below his best.

He lost three matches in a row to start the clay swing and ended the coaching partnership with Andy Murray last week.

His draw could have been much worse in Paris.

The Serb great, who turned 38 on Thursday, has German third seed Alexander Zverev and Russian 11th seed Daniil Medvedev in his quarter.

Who are the other Brits facing?

The other British players in the men’s singles have landed eye-catching draws.

Jacob Fearnley’s rapid rise continues with a French Open debut against 40-year-old three-time major champion Wawrinka, who won the Roland Garros title in 2015.

Cameron Norrie has been given a rematch against Russia’s Medvedev after the former world number one beat the Briton recently in Rome.

In the women’s singles, British number one Katie Boulter starts against a qualifier as the 28-year-old aims to finally land her first Roland Garros main-draw win.

She warmed up by winning a WTA 125 title in Paris last week.

Sonay Kartal is playing in the main draw for the first time, having climbed more than 200 places in the rankings over the past year, and opens against Erika Andreeva of Russia.

If she wins her first two matches, 23-year-old Kartal could again face Coco Gauff – who beat her in the Wimbledon second round last year.

Jodie Burrage, playing under a protected ranking, faces a tough test against big-hitting former world number seven Danielle Collins.

‘Real test of the Brits begins’ – analysis

The first part of the European clay-court swing has been encouraging for the leading British players – now the real test of their credentials is about to begin.

Although Raducanu has made positive steps over recent months, she still does not feel totally at ease on clay.

Does she have enough natural movement and quality to cause a shock if she meets Swiatek? You would think not – even if the four-time champion has been below her best.

Draper, beaten in the first round last year, has become a genuine force on clay.

Reaching the Madrid final and Rome quarter-finals illustrated his rising stock, but the fifth seed has been handed a tough draw.

If he comes through against Bellucci – a creative left-hander trying to crack the top 50 – a host of bigger names are lurking down the line.

Sinner is the standout name as a potential quarter-final opponent, although he could have to find a way past Joao Fonseca, Hubert Hurkacz, Jakub Mensik or Alex de Minaur before then.

Other standout first-round matches

Men’s singles

• [30] Hubert Hurkacz (Pol) v Joao Fonseca (Bra)
• [3] Alexander Zverev (Ger) v Learner Tien (US)
• Robert Bautista Agut (Spa) v [10] Holger Rune (Den)
• Tomas Martin Etcheverry (Chi) v [20] Stefanos Tsitsipas (Gre)

Women’s singles

• [1] Aryna Sabalenka v Kamilla Rakhimova (Rus)
• Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Rus) v [8] Qinwen Zheng (Chn)
• [4] Jasmine Paolini (Ita) v Yue Yuan (Chn)
• Naomi Osaka (Jpn) v Paula Badosa (Spa)
• [12] Elena Rybakina (Kaz) vs Belinda Bencic (Swi)

Third seed Alcaraz won 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 on the Roland Garros clay.

He was below the level of confidence and consistency which enabled him to win his first two major finals – at the US Open in 2022 and last year’s Wimbledon.

But the 21-year-old came through to become the youngest man to win Grand Slam titles on all three surfaces.

Clay was the surface which Alcaraz grew up playing on in his hometown of Murcia and the French Open event he dreamt of winning.

He instantly fell on to his back – in a celebration akin to 14-time champion Rafael Nadal – when he took his first match point after four hours and 19 minutes with a forehand winner.

“I used to watch the tournament on television and I’m now lifting the title,” said Alcaraz, who was presented with the trophy by six-time champion Bjorn Borg.

Fourth seed Zverev, who was looking to finally land his first Grand Slam title, presented a formidable opponent after a 12-match winning streak on the red dirt.

But the 27-year-old’s wait for the major title he has long been predicted to win continues after his second defeat in a Grand Slam final.

How momentum and quality fluctuated in strange final

Both men had reason to be nervous and it showed in a strange match where neither regularly played anywhere near their best.

For Alcaraz, he was aiming to win the tournament which he used to run home from school to watch.

Zverev, meanwhile, was aiming to fulfil the talent many saw when the prodigious teenager followed older brother Mischa – a former Australian Open quarter-finalist – around on tour.

An edgy Zverev opened up with two double faults on his way to losing serve but broke back after uncertain hitting from Alcaraz.

Alcaraz began to settle as he soaked up Zverev’s powerful groundstrokes and took the German’s serve again for a 3-2 lead. Now starting to strut, the crosscourt forehand winner which sealed the set illustrated his growing confidence.

In the second set Zverev found more depth and bounce with his return. A despondent-looking Alcaraz struggled to cope and lost five games in a row from a 2-1 lead.

The level and intensity increased in what both players knew was a pivotal third set. Alcaraz broke to love pretty much out of nowhere – having lost the previous 14 points on Zverev’s serve – but momentum and quality continued to fluctuate.

From a 5-2 deficit, Zverev levelled for 5-5 and broke a tense Alcaraz for 6-5 before serving out for the lead.

Another twist came in the fourth. This time, Zverev’s level dipped sharply and Alcaraz, despite needing treatment for a leg injury, ran away to force a decider.

Alcaraz comes through after contrasting build-ups

Coming into Roland Garros, Alcaraz had not played for a month because of the pain in his right forearm and continued to wear a support throughout the tournament.

He had missed the Italian Open as a consequence and arrived in Paris with only a run to the Madrid Open quarter-finals under his belt on clay.

In contrast, Zverev had prepared by winning the prestigious Rome title.

Their varying paths to the tournament, and the draw, meant it was a difficult final to call.

That remained the case when the pair started the deciding set.

By now Zverev had spent almost 24 hours on court in the tournament – having taken the longest route to the French Open final since records began in 1991.

After going a break behind at 2-1, the Olympic champion dipped into his mental and physical reserves again to force five break points in the fifth set, but could not take any of them as Alcaraz survived.

When Alcaraz broke for 5-2, with the help of a sensational backhand crosscourt winner, Zverev looked utterly demoralised and could not recover.

“It’s been amazing – the atmosphere, the support has been amazing,” said Zverev, whose defeat came two days after his trial over domestic abuse allegations was discontinued.

“I really love to play on this beautiful court, one of my favourite courts on the tour.

“I’ll be back next year.”

Poland’s Swiatek continued her recent dominance on the Roland Garros clay with a 6-2 6-1 win against first-time major finalist Paolini.

The world number one trailed by an early break but instantly hit back, winning 11 of the next 12 games to secure victory.

It has secured 23-year-old Swiatek a fourth title in Paris and a fifth Grand Slam triumph overall after her victory at the 2022 US Open.

“I love this place, I wait every year to play here,” said Swiatek, who won in just 68 minutes.

Swiatek follows Monica Seles and Justine Henin into the record books as the only players to have claimed a ‘three-peat’ in the women’s singles since the Open era began in 1968.

She is the youngest player in the Open era – which ushered in professionalism – to win four titles at Roland Garros.

After sealing victory in little over an hour, Swiatek celebrated by sinking to her knees before dancing around the court.

Congratulating Swiatek in her runners-up speech, Paolini said: “To play you here is the toughest challenge in this sport.

“It’s been an intense 15 days, and today was tough, but I’m really proud of myself.”

Swiatek dominance underlined in style and stats

Coming into the clay-court major, everyone wondered who could stop Swiatek winning the title again. Ultimately, nobody was able to provide an answer.

Along with her formidable history at Roland Garros she arrived in hot form, having already won prestigious WTA titles in Madrid and Rome.

Former world number one Naomi Osaka came closest to beating Swiatek, troubling her with powerful returning and holding a match point in their second-round encounter before the top seed recovered.

Since then it has been plain sailing for Swiatek.

A 40-minute ‘double bagel’ over Anastasia Potapova in the fourth round laid down a significant marker, before she dropped just two games against 2019 finalist Marketa Vondrousova in the quarter-finals.

US Open champion Coco Gauff offered more resistance in the semi-finals before Swiatek asserted control against an opponent she has dominated in their previous meetings.

Few people gave Paolini hope of causing what would have been an almighty shock.

After a sloppy start, Swiatek found her rhythm, crushing Paolini in a devastating performance which showcased her ability and authority on the red dirt.

The statistics also underline it:

• Swiatek has won 21 matches in a row at the French Open – the fourth-longest streak in women’s singles in the Open era
• Swiatek has won 35 of her 37 career matches at Roland Garros
• She has not lost in Paris since 2021
• After saving match point against Osaka, Swiatek won 64 of 81 games on her way to the title
• Only Chris Evert (seven), Steffi Graf (six) and Justine Henin (four) have won more French Open titles than the Pole
• Swiatek dropped the fewest games in a French Open final since Henin beat Ana Ivanovic in 2007

Late-blooming Paolini wilts after confident start

Paolini’s run to the final has been the culmination of a fine season where she has registered several career milestones and climbed into the world’s top 10.

Pre-match odds on the 28-year-old causing an upset were about 11-1, but the underdog, who was well supported by a crowd containing lots of Italians, began confidently.

Looking unfazed, Paolini was able to use her forehand to good effect and there was a murmur of surprise around the stadium when she deservedly broke for a 2-1 lead.

But Swiatek, whose long miss on break point was illustrative of her lack of precision, instantly replied.

She broke straight back to love as Paolini could not consolidate, with the Italian handing over another break for 4-2 with a double fault.

From that point it was one-way traffic.

Paolini struggled to cope with Swiatek’s weight of shot and began to look overawed by her opponent, although she was boosted by a huge roar when she finally got on the board in a chastening second set.

While a clenched fist showed defiance, she must have known the match would soon be over, and Swiatek subsequently served out an emphatic victory.

Spanish third seed Alcaraz showed resilience to twice fight back from behind in a 2-6 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3 win.

Alcaraz missed two match points – hitting the net after a baseline duel and then lamping a forehand long – before taking his third opportunity.

He will face German fourth seed Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s men’s final.

Italian second seed Sinner, who struggled with cramps in the third set, was bidding for back-to-back major titles after winning the Australian Open in January.

But Alcaraz came through after growing stronger as the match wore on.

“You have to find the joy in suffering, that’s the key,” Alcaraz said.

“Even more here on clay – long rallies, four-hour matches, five sets, you have to fight. But you have to enjoy suffering.”

The 21-year-old is now just one win from completing three legs of a career Grand Slam, having already triumphed at the 2022 US Open and last year’s Wimbledon.

Zverev, 27, won 2-6 6-2 6-4 6-2 against Norwegian seventh seed Casper Ruud in the second semi-final later on Friday.

Zverev played just hours after a trial in Berlin over domestic abuse allegations made by his former girlfriend was discontinued.

Alcaraz comes through ‘one of toughest’ matches

The emerging rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz is one that many in tennis believe can fill the void left by the ageing superstars.

Few will forget their epic US Open quarter-final in 2022, which finished at 2:50am in New York and featured some jaw-dropping exchanges.

This was a different type of contest. Neither player found their best level consistently – and rarely at the same time.

But the match developed into an absorbing encounter where, at times, each man relied on heart as much as their head.

“It was one of the toughest matches I’ve played, for sure,” said Alcaraz.

Sinner, 22, made what could be considered a perfect start, taking Alcaraz’s serve with the two break points he created and twice holding to love for a 4-0 lead.

By defending robustly and returning with depth, Sinner forced a flurry of mistakes from Alcaraz’s forehand and continued to bewilder his opponent at the start of the second set.

Another early break put Sinner ahead – but the dynamic swiftly changed.

Alcaraz, finding better angles and more precision with Sinner not hitting as deep, broke twice to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 5-2 lead and level the match.

After trading breaks at the start of the third set, Alcaraz could not take four more chances at 2-2 when Sinner struggled with cramp in his playing arm.

Having received treatment, Sinner recovered to break in the next game before he required further attention – this time on his legs – from the physio.

Sinner served out to move back in front. However, a wild overhead at 30-15 4-5 in the fourth set, pushing it wide with Alcaraz stranded, proved costly.

Last year, Alcaraz suffered from full body cramps in his maiden Roland Garros semi-final, blaming it afterwards on the tension of facing the incomparable Novak Djokovic.

This time, he looked more relaxed as the match wore on and ultimately raced ahead to clinch the decider.

“I think it was a great match,” Sinner said.

“The sets he won he played better in the important points. That was the key.”

Zverev ends semi-final hoodoo

Zverev’s pursuit for a first Grand Slam title has come against the backdrop of his court case.

Before Roland Garros, the Olympic champion said the trial was “not on my mind” and has looked focused throughout the fortnight.

Zverev tuned up for the French Open by winning the prestigious Rome title and has shown why he was considered a serious contender coming into the clay-court major.

After losing in his past three Slam semi-finals, he put in a largely controlled performance against 2022 and 2023 runner-up Ruud, who was struggling with what he described as “tummy ache” throughout.

It was the third time he has come back from losing the first set, cruising through the next three after facing – and saving – only one break point.

“I’m extremely happy because I’ve got so much history on this court – some of the best memories and some of the worst memories,” said Zverev, who suffered a serious ankle injury in his 2022 semi-final against Rafael Nadal.

“I’m happy to come through my fourth semi-final. The first two sets were high level and then I saw he started to move slower when he wasn’t feeling well – but his shots were still the same.”

World number one Swiatek will face Italian 12th seed Jasmine Paolini in Saturday’s final.

Poland’s Swiatek, 23, broke Gauff in the first game of the match and, apart from briefly losing serve in the second set, retained control to win 6-2 6-4.

Third seed Gauff saved three match points before Swiatek closed out victory.

The 20-year-old American has now lost 11 of her 12 matches against the world number one.

“It was intense, especially in the second set but I’m happy,” said Swiatek.

“I stuck with my tactics, didn’t overthink things and just went for it.”

Paolini, 28, beat unseeded 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva 6-3 6-1 in the second semi-final on Thursday.

Gauff cannot end Swiatek hex

Whatever happened between Swiatek and Gauff, the pair were still going to leave Roland Garros as the leading two women’s players in the world rankings.

But the outcome again illustrated the gulf between them when they face each other.

US Open champion Gauff talked bullishly after beating three-time major finalist Ons Jabeur in the quarter-finals, saying she had “nothing to lose” and claimed the pressure was on Swiatek.

That is not how it panned out. Gauff looked overcome by nerves from the start and paid the price.

Trying to land heavily with her forehand in the rallies did not come off, with a stream of errors from that side doing a lot of the work for Swiatek.

Gauff made 18 unforced errors in a first set where Swiatek only needed to hit two winners and the American’s body language showed she was feeling the pressure.

After going for a bathroom break to gather her thoughts, Gauff had to dig deep to hold serve at the start of the second set before a row with umpire Aurelie Tourte over a line call sparked her into life.

An emotional Gauff appeared to wipe away tears between points in the next game – but the energy fuelled her into breaking Swiatek’s serve for a 3-1 lead.

However, Gauff could not consolidate and, although she showed more resistance towards the end, she has more problem-solving to do about how to end Swiatek’s hex.

Can Paolini stop Swiatek?

The question before the tournament was whether anyone could stop Swiatek becoming only the third woman to win three French Open titles in a row.

She is aiming to join Monica Seles (1990–1992) and Justine Henin (2005–2007) as the only women to achieve the feat in the Open era.

Only former world number Naomi Osaka, who had little previous form on clay and won her four majors on hard courts, has come close to stopping her.

Swiatek has gone up several gears since that titanic second-round contest – where she saved a match point before winning in three sets.

She did not drop a game in a 40-minute thrashing against Anastasia Potapova in the fourth round and made light work of 2019 finalist Marketa Vondrousova in the quarter-finals.

Paolini is the final player in Swiatek’s way after reaching a maiden major singles final with a powerful performance against Andreeva.

The late-blooming Italian’s run at Roland Garros is the latest surprise in a season where she has registered several career milestones.

Paolini had never previously gone beyond the second round in Paris, but has built on lifting the first WTA 1,000 title of her career in Dubai and earning notable wins over some established top-20 players.

After beating third seed Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals, she continued to use her powerful forehand to draw mistakes from 38th-ranked Andreeva.

The teenager, who was the youngest Grand Slam semi-finalist since Martina Hingis at the 1997 US Open, was visibly emotional as the second set ran away from her.

“I learned a bit later than other players maybe but to dream is the most important thing in sport and life. I’m happy I could dream this moment,” Paolini, who won the final five games of the match, said.

Top seed Swiatek, 23, broke in the first game of the match and, apart from briefly losing serve in the second set, retained control to win 6-2 6-4.

Third seed Gauff saved three match points before Poland’s Swiatek closed out victory.

The 20-year-old American has now lost 11 of her 12 matches against the world number one.

“It was intense, especially in the second set but I’m happy,” said Swiatek.

“I stuck with my tactics, didn’t overthink things and just went for it.”

Swiatek will face Italian 12th seed Jasmine Paolini or unseeded 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva in Saturday’s final.

Paolini, 28, and Andreeva meet in the second semi-final later on Thursday.

Gauff cannot end Swiatek hex

Whatever happened between Swiatek and Gauff, the pair were still going to leave Roland Garros as the best two women’s players in the world rankings.

But the outcome again illustrated the gulf between them when they face each other.

US Open champion Gauff talked bullishly after beating three-time major finalist Ons Jabeur in the quarter-finals, saying she had “nothing to lose” and attempted to put the pressure on her opponent.

That is not how it panned out. Gauff looked overcome by nerves from the start and paid the price.

Trying to land heavily with her forehand in the rallies did not come off, with a stream of errors from that side doing a lot of the work for Swiatek.

Gauff made 18 unforced errors in a first set where Swiatek only needed to hit two winners and the American’s body language showed she was feeling the pressure.

After going for a bathroom break to gather her thoughts, Gauff had to dig deep to hold serve at the start of the second set before a row with umpire Aurelie Tourte over a line call sparked her into life.

An emotional Gauff appeared to wipe away tears between points in the next game – but the energy fuelled her and led to her breaking Swiatek’s serve for a 3-1 lead.

However, Gauff could not consolidate and, although she showed more resistance towards the end, she has more problem-solving to do about how to end Swiatek’s hex.

Can Swiatek be stopped?

The question before the tournament was who could stop Swiatek becoming only the third woman to win three French Open titles in a row.

She is aiming to join Monica Seles (1990–1992) and Justine Henin (2005–2007) as the only women to achieve the feat in the Open era.

Only former world number Naomi Osaka, who had little previous form on clay and won her four majors on hard courts, has come close to stopping her.

Swiatek has gone up several gears since that titanic second-round contest – where she saved a match point before winning in three sets.

She did not drop a game in a 40-minute thrashing against Anastasia Potopova in the fourth round and made light work of 2019 finalist Marketa Vondrousova in the quarter-finals.

While Swiatek was not as dominant against Gauff in terms of the scoreline, there always felt very little prospect she would lose.

“Something changed [after the match against Osaka]. I just adjusted better to the court,” Swiatek said.

Polish world number one Swiatek has won 10 of their 11 previous meetings, including the past three and two matches at Roland Garros – the 2022 final and a quarter-final a year later.

Swiatek, 23, won the French Open in 2020, 2022 and 2023. She has not lost in 19 successive matches in the event and reached the final four this tournament by thrashing Marketa Vondrouvosa 6-0 6-2.

“She’s definitely a tough opponent for me and for anybody,” said 20-year-old American Gauff. “She’s playing great tennis here, so it’s going to be a challenge, but I’m going to go into the match with a lot of belief that I can win.

“I definitely think I have to find a better way to play her.”

Britain’s Neal Skupski and American Desirae Krawczyk will compete in their first French Open mixed doubles final as a partnership on Thursday.

They will face second seeds Laura Siegemund and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, of Germany and France respectively.

In the men’s wheelchair singles, Britain’s three-time champion Alfie Hewett plays two-time winner Argentine Gustavo Fernandez for a place in the final.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Image caption: Iga Swiatek (right) won the 2022 French Open final – the second of her four Grand Slam titles

‘It was easier to crack her’

Swiatek has won four Grand Slam titles and defeated Gauff 6-1 6-3 in the 2022 French Open final – the first Slam final of Gauff’s career.

Gauff won the US Open in 2023 and enjoyed her best run at the Australian Open this year, reaching the semi-finals before losing to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Swaitek now sees the third-seeded Gauff as a tougher opponent than earlier in her career.

“Her mental game is a little bit better,” added Swiatek. “Before it was kind of easier to ‘crack her’, when you were leading. But it’s normal that she’s making progress. She’s at that age that everything goes pretty nicely, that if you’re working hard then you will get progress.

“She’s probably doing that, and probably every aspect of her game is a little bit better, because it’s different being a teenager on the tour and then being a more mature player.”

In response to Swiatek’s comments, Gauff said: “I don’t know if it’s something I actively worked on or if it’s just maturity over the years. You just get older and learn how to handle the pressures a little bit more.

“I don’t have a mental coach, but it is something I knew I had to improve and just be more positive.”

Paolini and Andreeva aim for first Slam final

In the other semi-final, Italian 12th seed Jasmine Paolini will face 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva.

Before this tournament, Paolini, 28, had only made it past the second round of a Slam on one occasion – the Australian Open earlier this year when she lost to Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya in the last 16.

But wins over Australian Daria Saville, American Hailey Baptiste, Canadian Bianca Andreescu and Russian Elina Avanesyan took Paolini into her first Slam quarter-final.

On Wednesday she defeated fourth seed Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, 6-2 4-6 6-4 to advance into the semi-finals.

With Jannik Sinner already through to the men’s final four, it is the first time an Italian man and woman have reached the semi-finals at the same Slam.

Neither Paolini nor Andreeva have played in a Slam final, with the teenager moving into the final four thanks to a come-from-behind 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-4 win to eliminate world number two Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday.

Andreeva is set to move into the top 25 of the world rankings for the first time in what has been a fantastic 12 months for her.

She reached the last 16 at Wimbledon last summer and thrashed three-time Slam finalist Ons Jabeur on her way to the same stage at the Australian Open earlier this year.

Fourth seed Zverev, 27, came through to win 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 against 11th seed De Minaur.

Now Zverev has another chance to reach the Roland Garros final after missing out in each of the past three years.

Standing in his way will be Norwegian seventh seed Casper Ruud, who outclassed Zverev in last year’s semi-finals.

“I’m happy to be back in another semi-final, hopefully I can win one,” said Zverev.

Ruud, 25, moved into the last four without playing as a result of Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal on Tuesday.

Defending champion Djokovic, 37, pulled out with a knee injury which hampered him during a gutsy fourth-round win on Monday.

In the other semi-final Italian second seed Jannik Sinner will take on Spanish third seed Carlos Alcaraz.

Both semi-finals will be played on Friday – when Zverev’s ongoing court case into domestic abuse allegations resumes in Berlin.

The Olympic champion, who denies allegations of physically abusing his former girlfriend, does not have to be present in court and remained in Paris when the trial opened last week.

Before the tournament, he insisted the case was “not on my mind” and has not spoken about it further.

Despite the shadow of the trial, Zverev is now two wins from clinching the Grand Slam title which his talent on the tennis court has long promised.

Zverev underlines title credentials

Zverev tuned up for the French Open by winning the prestigious Rome title, a victory which consolidated his place among the pre-tournament favourites at Roland Garros.

He has justified that position with five victories which have demonstrated his quality and resilience.

De Minaur had never gone beyond the second round at Roland Garros until this year, but the 25-year-old caused plenty of problems with his speed around the court and ability to get the ball back.

The opening two sets were tight and tense, each lasting around the hour mark and signifying the pair’s duelling from the baseline.

De Minaur hitting a double fault on break point at 3-3 was enough to tip the first in Zverev’s favour, while the German recovered a 4-0 deficit in the tie-break – including winning a 39-shot rally at 5-5 – to strengthen his position.

Hearing De Minaur shade the support on Court Philippe Chatrier appeared to rattle Zverev, who stood motionless cupping his ear after moving two sets clear.

The third was more straightforward for Zverev – until he was broken when serving for the match at 5-3.

But, like he has done all the way through the tournament, he recovered and elevated his game in the key moments to clinch victory.

“I have the mindset you have to work harder than everyone else to be the best player,” said Zverev.

“I like to work to my absolute limit. If I do that then playing five sets all of a sudden is not that difficult.”

Second seed Sabalenka was seen grimacing and pointing to her stomach as she talked to medical staff in the middle of the first set.

She continued to struggle and appeared to consider retiring from the match.

Despite being far from her best, Sabalenka managed to move past her discomfort to complete the match.

But it was Andreeva, ranked 38th in the world, who emerged victorious, wrapping up a 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-4 win.

The 17-year-old is the youngest Grand Slam semi-finalist since Martina Hingis at the US Open in 1997.

She will face Jasmine Paolini in the last four after the Italian stunned fourth seed Elena Rybakina earlier on Wednesday.

“Honestly I was really nervous before the match, I knew she’d have an advantage,” said Andreeva, who had lost both her previous meetings with the Belarusian in straight sets.

“Me and my coach, we had a plan today but again I didn’t remember anything. I just try to play as I feel.”

Andreeva capitalises on Sabalenka struggles

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Image caption: Sabalenka received medical attention throughout the match

After exchanging breaks early in the opening set, it quickly became apparent that Sabalenka was feeling under the weather.

The Australian Open winner became increasingly frustrated with her below-par performance and called for the trainer as Andreeva broke to go 4-3 up.

After talking to the match doctor and returning to the court, Sabalenka made a swiping gesture at her neck and seemed close to signalling her retirement.

But she appeared to brighten and managed to level the set at 5-5 before digging deep in the tie-break to take the opener.

The same problems returned for Sabalenka, however, and she often needed to crouch down and steady herself on her racquet – receiving a time violation on one occasion.

The 26-year-old looked close to tears for much of the second set and made a slow, lethargic walk to her seat when Andreeva broke at 5-4 to force a decider.

Both players struggled to hold serve as the match trundled past the two-hour mark, and Sabalenka continued to receive medical attention.

Andreeva capitalised on her opponent’s struggles and landed an outrageous lob on her second match point at 5-4 to seal a famous victory.

Andreeva’s rise continues

It is another win that marks Andreeva’s rapid rise to the top of the sport.

When the latest rankings are released on Monday, she is set to find herself in the top 30 for the first time.

Playing in her first Grand Slam quarter-final, Andreeva occasionally looked agitated by Sabalenka’s discomfort, annoyed the world number two could hit stunning winners after struggling to stand up straight.

But the teenager kept her nerve and calmly moved through the second and third set, using a powerful two-handed backhand and delicate drop shots to good effect.

It continues a fantastic 12 months as she reached the last 16 at Wimbledon last summer and then thrashed three-time Slam finalist Ons Jabeur on her way to the fourth round at the Australian Open earlier this year.

Italian 12th seed Paolini won 6-2 4-6 6-4 against the Kazakhstani fourth seed on a windy Court Philippe-Chatrier.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Paolini, who wrapped up the win after two hours and three minutes at Roland Garros.

She will face Russian Mirra Andreeva or Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals, with the pair playing later on Wednesday.

Paolini was competing in her first Grand Slam quarter-final following an impressive season which has seen the 28-year-old break into the top 15 for the first time and win her maiden WTA 1,000 title at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February.

But in former Wimbledon champion Rybakina, 24, she was facing the world number four and a player, alongside Sabalenka, who was favourite to challenge two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek for the title in Paris.

Paolini started brightly, showing no signs of nerves as she broke Rybakina in the opening game.

With Rybakina struggling for consistency, Paolini took advantage, serving her first three games to love with a whipping cross-court forehand winner.

Paolini broke again before seeing out the set 6-2 with Rybakina earning just a single point on the Italian’s serve.

Having dropped a set for the first time this year in Paris, Rybakina needed to respond and despite unforced errors punctuating her performance, she started to find more consistency with her strokes.

The pair traded multiple breaks before a key moment came at 5-4 as a Paolini backhand went long, giving Rybakina set point which she claimed with some good work at the net.

The deciding set saw both players hampered by the wind and struggling for consistency with unforced errors and breaks of serve.

At 4-4 a wild forehand into the net from Rybakina, which prompted a puzzled look from her coaching team, gave Paolini a 30-15 lead which she took advantage of, earning the chance to serve for the match.

A long backhand from Rybakina – her 48th unforced error – then gave Paolini victory for the biggest win of her career so far.

Who is Jasmine Paolini?

Paolini was born in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, a town in Tuscany, and made her debut on the WTA tour in 2015.

She has won two singles titles but has enjoyed her most productive year to date in 2024, reaching the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open in January.

Her performance against Rybakina – who she beat for the second time in her nine-year career – won the backing of the Paris crowd, who cheered throughout her tenacious performance.

With Jannik Sinner also reaching the last four, there will be Italians in the semi-finals of both the men’s and women’s singles at a major for the first time in the Open era.

“It was a really tough match. I was a bit too emotional in the second set,” said Paolini.

“I said to myself, ‘OK, it is good. [Rybakina] is a great champion so it can happen’. I tried to hit every ball and it worked, I am here.

“I just tried to stay there every point, to forget what happened in the second set. I managed to come back and I just accept that and fight again. Thank you guys, thank you very much for cheering for me.”

Djokovic will thus not face Ruud in the French Open quarter-finals and the Norwegian will progress to the final four.

“Due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee (discovered during an MRI scan performed today), Novak Djokovic… has been forced to withdraw from the Roland-Garros tournament,” French Open organisers said in a statement.

Djokovic has withdrawn from Roland-Garros due to a right knee injury.

Wishing Novak a speedy recovery ? pic.twitter.com/Ilb6HynTzw

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2024

As a result of the withdrawal, Djokovic will lose his number-one ranking and Jannik Sinner will become the new number-one next week.

Sinner will become Italy’s first men’s tennis world number one when he replaces the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the top of the ATP rankings next week.

Gauff, 20, showed her maturity and mentality to win 4-6 6-2 6-3 at Roland Garros on Tuesday.

The US Open champion will play Polish top seed Iga Swiatek, who beat her in the 2022 final, in the last four on Thursday.

Swiatek continued her bid for a third straight title with a 6-0 6-2 win over Czech fifth seed Marketa Vondrousova.

After a superb opening set from eighth seed Jabeur, Gauff continued to believe in her game and took advantage of her opponent’s level dipping.

Gauff was unable to convert a match point on Jabeur’s serve at 5-2 in the decider, and survived a break point at 5-3, before getting over the line when her opponent dumped an overhead long.

A passionate roar as Gauff celebrated in the middle of the court indicated the magnitude of the test she had come through.

“She’s a tough opponent,” said Gauff, who saw Jabeur save a second match point before missing on the third.

“I was trying to be more aggressive, she was playing really well and hitting a lot of winners – which I’m not used to.

“I got a little bit tight but I did what I needed to do.”

Boisterous atmosphere inspires Gauff

Gauff has followed up winning the Grand Slam title which her prodigious talent had long promised with another strong season on the WTA Tour.

Now, after reaching the Australian Open semi-finals in January, she has moved into the last four at a third successive major tournament.

She did it on the Paris clay by recovering from dropping a set for the first time this tournament.

Jabeur played superbly in the opening set, absorbing Gauff’s power from the baseline with her forehand and serving strongly to give her opponent little chance on return.

In a city with a huge Tunisian population, Jabeur always receives passionate support and her fans celebrated her winning the set by singing a popular football-style terrace chant.

Gauff said the atmosphere also inspired her.

“Whenever I’m not playing, I cheer for Ons too, so thank you guys for making it a great atmosphere. I like playing in atmospheres like this,” she told the crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“I know you wanted her to win, but even when I was in the bathroom [after the first set] I was thinking ‘this is really fun, win or lose’.”

Three-time major finalist Jabeur has endured a tough season because of a niggling knee injury and struggled for form before rediscovering her level at Roland Garros.

However, the 29-year-old was unable to sustain the pressure she put Gauff under.

Struggling to land as many first serves, and beginning to make rash decisions in her returning, was costly as Gauff turned the match around.

“The quarter-finals is not bad. I’ll take it,” said Jabeur.

“I’m trying to be less hard with myself and be proud with the way I was fighting.”

Swiatek hands out another thrashing

The question coming into the clay-court major was: who can stop Swiatek at Roland Garros?

Nobody is any closer to answering it following another imperious performance from the 23-year-old world number one.

Since fighting past Naomi Osaka in the second round, Swiatek has gone up a gear.

Swiatek only needed 40 minutes to thrash Anastasia Potapova 6-0 6-0 in the last 16 and carried on where she left off with a 28-minute bagel against Vondrousova.

Vondrousova was the runner-up at Roland Garros in 2019 and is the reigning Wimbledon champion, but Swiatek operated on a different level.

After briefly coming under pressure on serve at 1-1 in the second set, Swiatek held for 2-1 and broke again for 3-1 on her way to teeing up another match against Gauff, who she also beat in the quarter-finals last year.

“Today it was pretty straightforward. I’m happy that I kept my focus. Sometimes I felt the game was pretty intense,” said Swiatek.

“Sometimes the intensity went down a bit. I wanted to just play my game no matter what was coming back from Marketa. I felt like I was in the zone today.”

Djokovic, 37, showed his supreme powers of recovery once again to come through a five-set marathon against Argentine 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round on Monday.

The world number one was hampered by the injury before winning 6-1 5-7 3-6 7-5 6-3.

Djokovic will face Norwegian seventh seed Casper Ruud, who the Serb beat in last year’s final, in the last eight on Wednesday.

“At one point I didn’t know if I should continue,” said Djokovic.

“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow or if I’ll be able to step out on the court and play. I hope so. Let’s see what happens.”

For the second time in three days, the 24-time major champion fought back from a two-sets-to-one deficit.

The fourth-round match with Cerundolo started at about 4pm local time on Monday, little over 36 hours after his previous contest against Lorenzo Musetti finished at 03:07 on Sunday morning.

But Djokovic still had the mental and physical resilience to win another gruelling encounter lasting four hours and 39 minutes.

The top seed broke out into a beaming smile when he sealed victory, pointing to his chest and then to the court in celebration.

It was Djokovic’s 370th victory at a Grand Slam tournament, putting him clear of his great rival Roger Federer.

“I don’t know how I won,” the three-time Roland Garros champion said.

Roland Garros clay ‘screwed up’ Djokovic’s knee

While Djokovic had moved in a “positive direction” after straight-set wins in his opening two matches, the exertions of beating Musetti led to questions about his shape against Cerundolo.

Finishing in the early hours also reopened a long-running discussion about why tennis finishes so late and the impact on the welfare of the players.

Djokovic looked tetchy and uncomfortable from the start.

Before the match he was wearing tape behind his right knee and needed treatment on the same leg early in the second set, laying out on the court as the physio assessed him.

Djokovic was heard telling the physio that he had “screwed up” his knee, adding: “I’m slipping and sliding all the time.”

He was given painkillers and called the physio to his chair several more times over the rest of the match.

“I had slight discomfort in the right knee for a couple of weeks but it was not an injury which was concerning – until today,” Djokovic said.

“The late finish did not help the sleeping, the biorhythm and recovery, but I actually felt good in the circumstances.

“Then I slipped, one of the many times I slipped, and that affected the knee. I started feeling the pain.

“The reason why I continued was because I wanted to see if an extra anti-inflammatory was going to kick in and reduce the limitations – which is what happened.”

How Djokovic avoided earliest exit since 2009

Write off Djokovic at your peril. So many times he has looked on the brink, so many times he has produced a logic-defying victory.

But even after seeing countless comebacks over the years, the manner in which he beat Cerundolo – at this stage of his career – was still remarkable.

Djokovic arrived at Roland Garros on the back of a turbulent season, having played below his lofty expectations and not reached a final, as well as parting ways with long-time coach Goran Ivanisevic.

Djokovic was breathing heavily and limping around the court as he looked set to suffer his earliest Roland Garros exit since a third-round defeat in 2009.

It would also have been his earliest exit at a Grand Slam tournament since the 2020 US Open – when he was defaulted after accidentally hitting a ball at a line judge.

But, after going a break down in the fourth and trailing 4-2, he fought back to level at 4-4 and struck again when Cerundolo served to stay in the set.

Now moving better and acting less demonstratively, Djokovic broke for 2-0 in the decider and it looked like he could race away to victory.

Cerundolo was not finished as he aimed to reach his first major quarter-final, though.

The 25-year-old Argentine instantly put the set back on serve, but Djokovic exerted more pressure to break again for 5-3 and serve out another memorable win.

Later, Ruud teed up a repeat of last year’s final with a 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 6-4 6-2 win over American 12th seed Taylor Fritz.

The fourth seed needed four hours and 40 minutes to edge past Rune of Denmark 4-6 6-1 5-7 7-6 (7-2) 6-2.

It was the second match in three days that finished in the early hours of the morning at Roland Garros after Novak Djokovic wrapped up a five-set victory against Lorenzo Musetti at 03:07 on Sunday.

Zverev will face Alex de Minaur in the men’s fourth round after the Australian beat fifth seed Daniil Medvedev earlier on Monday.

On Sunday, US Open champion Coco Gauff said tennis matches finishing at 3am were “unhealthy”.

Zverev and Rune were supposed to be on court at 20:15 local time but did not begin their warm-ups until after 21:00.

The previous match on Philippe Chatrier between Djokovic and Francisco Cerundolo lasted four hours and 39 minutes.

Zverev was playing in Paris under the shadow of an ongoing trial in Berlin relating to allegations he assaulted an ex-girlfriend, which he denies.

German Zverev, 27, is still hunting his first Grand Slam title and has fallen at the semi-final stage of the past three French Opens.

He was broken midway through the first set by 13th seed Rune, who then saved three break-back points on his way to taking the first set.

Zverev cruised to the second with three breaks but lost his serve at the end of the third, hitting a volley wildly off target when defending set point.

The pair broke each other twice in a gripping fourth set which Zverev took with a decisive tie-break.

In the fifth set Zverev maintained control, breaking twice to reach his 12th Grand Slam quarter-final.

Fourth seed Medvedev stunned by De Minaur

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Image caption: Daniil Medvedev was playing in the French Open fourth round for only the third time in eight appearances

Daniil Medvedev became the highest seed to fall in the French Open singles after losing to Australia’s Alex de Minaur earlier on Monday.

The Russian fifth seed, 28, was beaten 4-6 6-2 6-1 6-3 in the fourth round.

He needed treatment for blisters on his feet in the second set and lost nine of the next 10 games when he returned from a medical timeout.

The former world number one, who has never gone past the French Open quarter-finals, improved in the fourth set after going off court again.

But a poor backhand into the net handed over a breakpoint at 3-3, which De Minaur took spectacularly with an inside-out forehand winner that kissed the line.

De Minaur used his speed around the court superbly to keep points alive throughout and drew mistakes out his frustrated opponent.

With Medvedev chuntering to his team, De Minaur stayed composed to hold to love and move a game away from victory.

Medvedev mis-hit a forehand long behind the baseline at 30-30 5-3 and a double fault from the 2021 US Open champion on match point was a sorry way to finish.

De Minaur is the first Australian man to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004.

Having never previously gone beyond the second round in Paris, De Minaur screamed “I love the clay! I love it here!” as he celebrated.

Throughout the match the 25-year-old was again spurred on by a young super-fan, who he credited for helping him beat Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round.

De Minaur said he was inspired by seeing the boy enthusiastically cheering every point and tracked him down on social media to invite him to this match.

The youngster was sat close to De Minaur’s team with a couple of friends, and all three chanted, cheered and celebrated after every point in the Australian’s favour.

De Minaur said he would invite the fan to his quarter-final match, adding: “I might have to get him on tour week in, week out.”

Defending champion Novak Djokovic wrapped up a five-set victory against Lorenzo Musetti at 3:07am on Sunday at the French Open – by far the latest-ever finish at the clay-court Grand Slam.

It reopened the discussion around why matches are allowed to continue into the early hours and the impact on player welfare.

“I feel like a lot of times people think you’re done, but really at 3am [you’re] probably not going to bed until 5am at the earliest, maybe 6am or 7am,” said US Open women’s champion Gauff.

“I definitely think it’s not healthy.

“For the health and safety of the players, it would be in the sport’s best interest to try to avoid those matches finishing or starting after a certain time.”

In January, the ATP and WTA Tours jointly brought in a new rule which means no matches can start after 11pm.

However, the ruling has not been applied to the four majors, which make their own policies. Tour matches are also played over three sets, while men play best-of-five at the Grand Slams.

Iga Swiatek, the defending women’s champion, also called on the authorities to act.

“It’s not easy to play and it’s not like we’re going to fall asleep one hour after the match,” said the Polish world number one.

“[Change] is not up to us. We need to accept anything that is going to come to us.”

How did the late-night situation unfold?

The decision by the French Open to put Grigor Dimitrov’s unfinished match against Zizou Bergs on Court Philippe Chatrier before Djokovic and Musetti in the night session backfired.

That match, which was rained off on Friday, was moved to Chatrier when it looked like Alexander Zverev was going to wrap up a four-set victory against Tallon Griekspoor in the final match of the day session.

However, that went to five sets before Dimitrov, who restarted the match with a one-set advantage, needed four sets to beat Bergs.

It meant Djokovic and Italy’s Musetti, who should have started at 8:15pm local time, did not step on court until 10:37pm.

After sealing victory four-and-a-half hours later, Djokovic said he did not “want to get into” discussing the scheduling decision.

“I think some things could have been handled a different way but there’s also a beauty in winning a match [so late],” the 37-year-old Serb added.

“Physically, I really went to my limits to win this match.”

The French Open has been asked by BBC Sport for comment about the decision.

British doubles player Jamie Murray highlighted the knock-on effect of a late finish on a player’s recovery.

“You’re totally goosed the next day and then the day after that is a battle as well,” said Murray, whose brother Andy finished an Australian Open match last year at 4am.

“It won’t be easy for Novak to recover. It’s not like he’s 25 anymore.”

Djokovic, who plays Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round on Monday, was not down on the practice schedule for Sunday.

Alcaraz, 21, won 6-3 6-3 6-1 against the Canadian 21st seed on a rare rain-free day in Paris.

The reigning Wimbledon champion will face Greek ninth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last eight.

“I’m really happy with the performance today, I think I played a real high level of tennis,” Alcaraz said.

“I’m happy with my serve, my shots and my movement on the court.”

Tsitsipas, who is bidding to land his first major title, came from behind to beat Italy’s world number 35 Matteo Arnaldi 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-2.

Alcaraz is targeting his first French Open title, having already won the US Open and Wimbledon.

But his preparations were hampered by a forearm injury which he carried into the clay-court major.

He arrived in Paris with only a run to the Madrid Open quarter-finals under his belt on clay and he admitted earlier in the tournament that he was still feeling pain.

After powering past Sebastian Korda in the third round he said he felt more like himself – and he looked it as he beat 23-year-old Auger-Aliassime on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“I didn’t come here with a lot of rhythm but I believe in myself. After every practice and every match I’m getting better,” Alcaraz, who reached the semi-finals last year, added.

Auger-Aliassime needed treatment for what appeared to be a muscular issue early in the second set and struggled with his serve for the remainder of the match.

With Auger-Aliassime vulnerable, Alcaraz broke twice on his way to a 5-0 third-set lead and served out victory shortly after Tsitsipas had done the same on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Arnaldi had stunned Russian sixth seed Andrey Rublev in the previous round and led by a set and a break as he looked to take another notable scalp.

Tsitsipas, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2021 final at Roland Garros, was made to pay for not taking any of five break points in the first set and another three in the second.

However, he showed courage to save four set points at 5-3 and 5-4 and was rewarded by eventually breaking Arnaldi’s serve in the 10th game.

After winning the tie-break and breaking in the first game of the third set, Tsitsipas retained utter control and broke three more times to race away with victory.

The two-time defending champion showed why she is the overwhelming favourite for the title with a relentlessly dominant performance.

Top seed Swiatek won 48 points – against 10 won by world number 41 Potapova – and did not face a single break point.

It was the quickest win of Swiatek’s career – and the second shortest completed match at Roland Garros after Steffi Graf’s 32-minute triumph over Natasha Zvereva in the 1988 final.

“It went pretty quickly,” Swiatek said.

“I was really focused and in the zone. I wasn’t looking at the score, so I continued working on my game.”

She will face Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova next after the Czech ended Serb qualifier Olga Danilovic’s run in a 6-4 6-2 victory.

US Open winner Coco Gauff made light work of Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto, winning 6-1 6-2 to set up a meeting with either Ons Jabeur or Clara Tauson.

The stats tell most of the story: Swiatek made just two unforced errors, won 94% of points behind her first serve and held to love five times.

She took the first set in 19 minutes and only showed frustration when she missed two break points on Potapova’s serve in the second set, before taking the third.

It was a far cry from her second-round match against fellow four-time major winner Naomi Osaka, where she had to save a match point before progressing in three tough sets.

Should she retain her title, Swiatek will be the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to win the French Open singles three times in a row.

Swiatek is on an 18-match win streak at Roland Garros, having not lost since the 2021 quarter-finals.

She is also on a 16-match winning streak on clay courts this season, having claimed big titles in Madrid and Rome before arriving in Paris.

Slam champions Gauff & Vondrousova progress

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Image caption: Coco Gauff is playing in singles and doubles at the French Open

Fifth seed Vondrousova, who stunned Jabeur to win Wimbledon last year, has form at Roland Garros, having lost out to Ashleigh Barty in the 2019 final.

She has had a mixed start to the year but did reach the semi-finals on the Stuttgart clay in the build-up to Roland Garros.

She recovered from going an early breakdown against Danilovic and saved four of the five break points she faced on her way to victory.

Gauff is also a former finalist at Roland Garros, having finished runner-up to the ever-dominant Swiatek in 2021.

Unlike many American players, Gauff has had plenty of experience of clay, having won the Roland Garros girls’ title as a junior in 2018.

She put all her experience to use against Cocciaretto, who had heavy strapping on her leg and looked to be feeling the effects of reaching the second week of a major for the first time.

Third seed Gauff moved well and played with some excellent control, breaking early in both sets and shaking off five double faults to close out victory in 60 minutes.

“I’m lucky – I’ve been able to train on clay since I was 10 years old, which is not common for Americans,” Gauff said.

“I like to slide and sometimes I do surprise myself.”

Belarusian Sabalenka, who reached the semi-finals last year, won 7-5 6-1 against the Spanish former world number two.

A competitive and entertaining first set, where both players demonstrated their power from the baseline, saw seven breaks of serve before second seed Sabalenka closed it out.

The second set was one-sided as 139th-ranked Badosa’s level dropped.

Badosa, who has fallen down the rankings after a stress fracture in her back, saved three match points before putting a backhand long on the fourth.

“I just tried to play my best and fight for every point. I know the conditions were tough and the serve wasn’t an advantage,” said 26-year-old Sabalenka, who won 10 of the final 11 games.

Two-time major champion Sabalenka will play either American 14th seed Madison Keys or her compatriot Emma Navarro, seeded 22nd, next.

Rain once again delayed play on the outside courts in Paris on Saturday, but Sabalenka and fourth seed Elena Rybakina advanced under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier.

After losing in Miami and retiring injured in Stuttgart, Badosa hoped it would be a case of third-time lucky against her friend in their latest meeting this season.

The 26-year-old Spaniard, who beat British number one Katie Boulter in the first round, soaked up Sabalenka’s power and used her opponent’s pace to fizz away winners in a competitive opening set.

It was a risk-reward strategy and when Badosa’s errors started outnumbering the winners, Sabalenka grabbed momentum.

Putting a drive volley into the net for 0-30 5-5 proved a costly mistake for Badosa as she lost serve for a fourth time, and a hold to love from Sabalenka clinched the opening set.

Sabalenka’s rhythm improved further in the second set as she hit the lines with power and precision.

Badosa could not cope but will ultimately reflect positively on her performances at Roland Garros considering her injury issues.

“It’s tough to play your best friend, but we know how to separate things,” said Sabalenka, who hugged Badosa warmly at the net.

“She’s an incredible player coming back after injury. She’ll be back at the top very soon.”

Commanding Rybakina through to fourth round

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Image caption: Elena Rybakina was beaten in the 2023 Australian Open final

Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina earlier reached the fourth round for the second time with a commanding win over Elise Mertens.

The world number four needed just 67 minutes to beat the 25th seed from Belgium 6-4 6-2.

Rybakina, 24, reached the quarter-finals in Paris in 2021 but withdrew with injury before her third-round match last year.

The in-form Kazakh will face either Elina Svitolina or Ana Bogdan next.

Earlier, home hope Varvara Gracheva overcame Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu 7-5 6-3 to reach the fourth round of a major for the first time.

The Russian-born player, ranked 88th in the world, was serenaded by the crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen with a loud rendition of the national anthem, La Marseillaise.

“I will remember this moment until the end of my life,” Gracheva, who has represented France since 2023 after living in the country for more than six years, said.

“It means that everyone accepts me, that I’m home here.”

She will face either Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva or American Peyton Stearns next.

Spain’s Alcaraz, 20, won 6-2 6-1 7-6 (7-5) against the Greek fifth seed.

Serbia’s Djokovic survived a quarter-final scare from Karen Khachanov to keep his bid for a record 23rd men’s Grand Slam singles title alive.

Djokovic, 36, was in danger of falling two sets behind against the Russian but prevailed 4-6 7-6 (7-0) 6-2 6-4.

The third seed could become the first man to win all four majors at least three times.

But if he is going to do that he must come through his toughest test yet when he meets US Open champion Alcaraz in the last four on Friday.

“This match is what everyone wants to watch and it will be a good one to play,” said world number one Alcaraz.

“If you want to be the best you have to beat the best. Djokovic is one of the best in the world and I’m looking forward to it.”

In the absence of the injured Rafael Nadal, Djokovic and Alcaraz have long been considered joint favourites to take the 14-time champion’s crown – what they have showed so far in this tournament strongly suggests that remains the case.

Tantalising semi-final awaits as pair finally meet at a major

From the moment the French Open draw was made almost a fortnight ago, eyes were drawn to the potential men’s semi-final that many fans had dreamed of seeing.

With Djokovic seeded third after injury issues in the build-up to Roland Garros, the draw pitched him in the same half as the youngster who has replaced him as the world’s leading player.

The unpredictable nature of sport means things do not always pan out as expected, but the fine form of Alcaraz and Djokovic has ensured a blockbuster semi-final in Paris.

Djokovic, who has won five of the past seven majors he has played, and Alcaraz have been two of the standout players on the men’s tour this season.

However, duels between the pair – either head-to-head or even being present in the biggest tournaments – have been rare.

Alcaraz stylishly set up their first meeting at a major by demolishing an opponent who reached the Roland Garros final in 2021.

After breaking for a 2-1 lead in the opening set, the Spaniard moved quickly through the gears and found his top level, leaving 24-year-old Tsitsipas befuddled.

Alcaraz showcased the full range of his mercurial talent, including wondrous returns off both flanks and deft drop-shots, to win the first set in 34 minutes.

Already looking forlorn and needing encouragement from the Chatrier crowd, Tsitsipas lost his serve in the opening game of the next set to love and won just 13 points as Alcaraz moved two sets ahead with little over an hour on the clock.

The third set looked to be following suit. Alcaraz broke at the first opportunity as he surged to a 3-0 lead and looked likely to serve out a one-sided contest before Tsitsipas produced a late rally.

After saving two match points to hold for 5-3, Tsitsipas earned his first break points of the evening and put the set back on serve at 5-5, only for Alcaraz to control the tie-break and take a sixth match point to reach his first Roland Garros semi-final.

“It wasn’t really that much fun out there in the first two sets. I felt completely off,” Tsitsipas said after the match.

“I just wish it never happens again. It sucks.”

Unrelenting Djokovic outlasts valiant Khachanov

Djokovic had not dropped a set all tournament on the Paris clay but Khachanov provided the test he arguably needed to prepare him for Alcaraz in the last four.

He came into the match having won 29 successive sets in Grand Slams but Khachanov ended that streak in just under an hour on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Having faced seven break points – saving six of them – in losing the opening set, Djokovic tightened up his service game for the majority of the match thereon.

He dominated the second-set tie-break, raced through the third and showed his trademark mental grit to close out the match, winning eight successive points from 4-4 before wrapping up victory with an ace.

“I played the perfect tie-break and from that moment onwards I played a couple of levels higher than I did at the beginning,” Djokovic said after three hours and 43 minutes on court.

“It was a big fight, it’s what you expect in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam. You are not going to have your victories handed to you and I’m glad to have overcome it today.”

Nadal, going for a 14th title, started superbly and fought off resistance from defending champion Djokovic to win 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6 (7-4) at Roland Garros.

Nadal secured victory at 1:15am local time after over four hours on court.

The 21-time Grand Slam winner now faces third seed Alexander Zverev on Friday.

Germany’s Zverev, 25, reached the semi-finals for the second successive year after surviving teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz’s fightback earlier on Tuesday.

“To win against Novak there is only one way: to play your best from the first point to the last,” said 35-year-old Nadal, who thanked the Paris crowd for showing their “love”.

“This is one of those magic nights for me.”

Victory for fifth seed Nadal avenged his semi-final defeat by Djokovic last year and extended his all-time record on the Roland Garros clay to 110 wins in 113 matches.

The rivalry between the pair is the most enduring in men’s tennis, with Nadal winning their 59th meeting seeing him narrow the gap to 30-29 in the head-to-head.

“Nadal showed why he is a great champion and stayed mentally tough. No doubt he deserves it,” said Djokovic.

“He was the better player in the important moments, he started well and I didn’t start so well.

“I gained momentum in the second set and I thought I was back in the game. But he was able to take his tennis to another level.”

The 39-year-old had been scheduled to play her second-round match against Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova on Wednesday.

The American has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and was aiming to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24.

“I think I need four to six weeks of sitting and doing nothing,” Williams told a news conference.

“I have been struggling to walk so that’s a telltale sign that I should try to recover.

“Achilles is an injury you don’t want to play with – I think it was one of the worst, don’t want to get to that point, I want it to get better.”

Williams picked up the Achilles problem during her US Open semi-final defeat by Victoria Azarenka earlier this month.

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On Monday, she beat fellow American Kristie Ahn 7-6 (7-2) 6-0 in the first round at Roland Garros but said she was struggling physically.

“In the second set I felt I needed to walk with a limp,” Williams added. “I had to focus on walking straight so I wasn’t limping. I tried and always give 100%, I take solace in that.

“I’m not sure I will play another tournament this year. It is not an acute injury, it is a nagging injury. I ran into bad timing and bad luck really.”

Williams won the French Open in 2002, 2013 and 2015 and is currently ranked ninth in the world.

Unseeded Pironkova, 33, moves into the third round of the French Open for only the third time in her career and will play either 32nd seed Barbora Strycova or Barbora Krejcikova from the Czech Republic.