Sinner faces Djokovic as reigning champion Alcaraz eyes French Open final
Sinner has stormed into the last four without dropping a set while Djokovic impressed in a four-set win over last year's runner-up Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.
Alcaraz delivered his most convincing display of the tournament in a ruthless demolition of Tommy Paul in the last round, while the in-form Musetti is targeting his first major final.
Top seed and three-time Grand Slam winner Sinner takes on the most successful man ever to play the sport in a rivalry that connects one generation to the next.
Sinner, 23, and Djokovic, 38, have split their eight meetings, but the Italian has won four of the last five matches to signal the undeniable power shift in men's tennis.
Sinner is riding a 19-match winning run at Grand Slams as he chases a third successive major title, looking to go a step further at Roland Garros than last year's semi-final loss to Alcaraz in five sets.
"(Djokovic) has shown now in the last period that he is back to the level," said Sinner.
"It's going to be... very, very difficult. He's such an experienced player, 24 Grand Slams. I think that says everything."
A week before Roland Garros, Djokovic had not won a single match on clay this year.
But after capturing his 100th ATP title in Geneva and arriving at the French Open battle-tested, the 38-year-old Serbian has steadily hit his stride.
The three-time Roland Garros champion is two wins away from a record-breaking 25th major to move him out in front of Margaret Court, but he is aware of the magnitude of the task ahead.
"Jannik is in tremendous form, and he has been the best player for the last couple of years," said Djokovic.
"There is no bigger occasion for me... I just hope that I will be able to physically keep up."
Djokovic could become the first man to beat the world's top three players en route to a Grand Slam title after defeating third-ranked Zverev in the last eight, with world number two Alcaraz a possible final opponent.
"I think at the moment he's a bit underrated, to be honest," Zverev said after his loss to the Serb.
"I think like a lot of people count him out already, but this year he's had wins over Carlos at the Australian Open, he has had a win over me at the French Open. Forget the age. I think for any player, those are pretty good results."
Alcaraz continues title defence
Alcaraz resumes his burgeoning rivalry with Musetti, hoping to back up victories over the Italian in the Monte Carlo Masters final and Italian Open semi-finals.
But Musetti, who also reached the last four in Madrid, is one of the form players on the ATP Tour and has carried that confidence into Roland Garros.
"I mean he's playing great," said Alcaraz of his semi-final opponent.
"It's going to be a beautiful battle, a beautiful match, I think we're both playing great tennis... it's going to be great for the people to watch as well."
The Spaniard is targeting a fifth Grand Slam title this weekend and will be a heavy favourite on Friday despite Musetti's recent good run.
Alcaraz has won the last five matches between the two since Musetti took their first meeting in the 2022 Hamburg Open final.
He also dished out a straight-sets thrashing to Musetti in the 2023 French Open last 16, losing only seven games.
World number seven Musetti will be playing in just his second Grand Slam semi-final, after a last-four defeat by Djokovic at Wimbledon last year.
Should he go through and meet Sinner for the title, it would be the first all-Italian men's final at a Grand Slam.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
17 minutes ago
- France 24
Champ leads Canadian Open as McIlroy crashes to missed cut
Champ fired four birdies in a four-under-par 66 to seize a two-stroke lead at TPC Toronto Osprey Valley, where world number two McIlroy posted an eight-over 78 to miss the cut by a wide margin. McIlroy, who won the Masters in April to complete a career Grand Slam, endured a horrendous day in a final start before next week's US Open at Oakmont. McIlroy's nightmare round included a quadruple bogey eight at the fifth hole, where he fired his second shot out of bounds and after a one-stroke penalty hit another shot over the green. He made a double-bogey at the 11th, where he was in the water hazard off the tee, and missed the cut for the first time this season. "Of course it concerns me," McIlroy said. "You don't want to shoot high scores like the one I did today. "I came here obviously with a new driver thinking that that sort of was going to be good and solve some of the problems off the tee, but it didn't. "Obviously going to Oakmont next week, what you need to do more than anything else there is hit fairways. When I get that part of the game clicking, then everything falls into place for me. Right now that isn't (happening). Yeah, that's a concern going into next week." Meanwhile Champ posted his second straight bogey-free round, and while he said he didn't hit it as well as he did in Thursday's 62 his 12-under-par total of 128 was enough for a two-stroke lead over American Andrew Putnam, whose bogey-free 62 was the best round of the day. Overnight co-leader Thorbjorn Olesen fired five birdies to balance three bogeys and a double bogey in an even par 70 to share third place on nine-under 131 with Canadians Nick Taylor and Richard Lee and Victor Perez of France. Taylor the 2023 champion, posted a five-under 65 while Lee carded a six-under 64. Perez made four of his six birdies on the back nine on the way to a 65. A joy to play It's been a whirlwind trip north of the border for Champ, a three-time PGA Tour winner who lost his card last year and was preparing to play in the Korn Ferry Tour event in South Carolina when he found on Tuesday he'd made the Canadian field as eighth alternate. "Luckily I actually brought my passport," Champ said. "I don't know why I brought it. I was like, you know, I'm just going to bring it in case for whatever reason, not even thinking about the tournament." Not only did Champ take the schedule shake-up in stride, he embraced the opportunity after a couple of years in which "off course stuff" had made it "a little rough for me to even be out here. "I just finally kind of accepted that and finally got some help," Champ said after a round that featured two birdies on each side. "For me, it's just a refresher to kind of be free in a sense ... I could care less what I shoot. "These last two days, it was just a joy for me to be able to play like that." Chile's Cristobal Del Solar, who flirted with a 59 before joining Olesen in shooting 61 on Thursday, carded a one-over 71 and was among a group of six on eight-under 132 that also included Ireland's Shane Lowry.
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
'Honoured' Djokovic hints at possible Roland Garros farewell after semi-final loss
Following his 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) loss to world number one Sinner, Djokovic stopped briefly on his way off Court Philippe Chatrier and took a moment to "show his gratitude" to the Paris crowd. "This could have been the last match ever I played here, so I don't know. That's why I was a bit more emotional even in the end," said three-time champion Djokovic. "But if this was the farewell match of Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd. "Not the happiest because of the loss, but, you know, I tried to show my gratitude to the crowd, because they were terrific." Djokovic has on occasion had a fraught relationship with the Parisian public, but hailed the backing he received against Sinner. "I don't think I have ever received this much support in this stadium in my career in big matches against the best players in the world. So very, very honoured to experience that," he added. 'Keep on keeping on' However, the Serb allayed fears he would be calling time on his career just yet. He stills stands on the brink of history after his latest tilt at a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title was foiled. One more major victory would take him beyond Margaret Court and into outright-first on the list of players with the most Grand Slams. "At the moment I will try to stick with the plan what I had, which is play the Grand Slams," he said. "Those tournaments are the priorities of my schedule, my calendar. Wimbledon and US Open, yes, they are in plans. That's all I can say right now. "I'm going to, unless something, I don't know, happens, whatever. But I feel like I want to play Wimbledon, I want to play US Open. Those two, for sure. For the rest, I'm not so sure." Despite the latest setback, Djokovic insisted he still has the record in his sights and hoped it will be seventh time lucky when Wimbledon starts on June 30. "Obviously Wimbledon is next, which is my childhood favourite tournament. I'm going to do everything possible to get myself ready," he said. "I guess my best chances (of winning) maybe are Wimbledon, you know, to win another Slam, or faster hard court, maybe Australia or something like that." Djokovic has won the title at Wimbledon seven times and is the the most dominant men's player in the history of the Australian Open with 10 victories in Melbourne. When asked how long he had been considering his future at Roland Garros, Djokovic cryptically replied: "Not long. You know, I don't know. "I don't know really what tomorrow brings in a way at this point in my career. You know, I going to keep on keeping on." Djokovic has appeared in the last 21 editions of the French Open -- lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires in 2016, 2021 and 2023. Last summer, he secured the only big title to have eluded him through the majority of his career when he won Olympic gold on centre court at Roland Garros. "We hope that it's not the case, because I feel like tennis needs him in a way," said Sinner when told of Djokovic's comments. "He said 'maybe', so you never know."
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Bromell scorches 100m as Chebet shines at Rome Diamond League
Bromell, a two-time world outdoor bronze medallist and 2016 world indoor champion, dominated the field, with compatriot Fred Kerley coming in fifth in 10.06sec. Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme (9.99) and Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala (10.01) rounded out the podium in the blue riband event. Kenya's Beatrice Chebet, who won Olympic golds in the 5,000 and 10,000m in Paris last year, posted the second fastest time of all time in the women's 5,000m, clocking 14:03.69 after a stunning solo breakaway at the Stadio Olimpico. It was just three seconds off Gudaf Tsegay's world record set in Eugene in 2023, the Ethiopian finishing third in the Italian capital as the field struggled with Chebet's kick four laps out from the finish. "I was planning to run 14:15, but I felt like my body was moving and I decided to go," said Chebet. "So I see that my body is in a good shape and I am capable of of the world record. So now I am going home and will prepare for it. Everything is possible. If I get someone who will push me up to 3000, it is possible." Another Olympic champion, Quincy Hall of the USA, held his nerve to claim victory in the men's 400m in 44.22sec, winning in a photo finish from fast-finishing South African Zakithi Nene. There was a first Diamond League win since 2022 for Sandi Morris in the women's pole vault, the American clearing 4.80m for the victory. "Today is monumental for me on a personal level," said Morris, a three-time world silver medallist. "I have been fighting with problems with my shoulder so I have to keep the volume of jumps lower. I really wanted to keep jumping but I also listen to my goals." There was, however, no glory for Gianmarco Tamberi in the men's high jump in front of his adoring fans. The joint 2020 Olympic gold medallist, also the current European and world champion, bombed out at a lowly 2.16m in a competition won by South Korea's Sanghyeok Woo, with a best of 2.32m.
