As he aims for another Grand Slam title in 2025, Novak Djokovic finds himself on a challenging path to the championship. He is anticipated to face off against third seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals, followed by world number one Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals, and potentially the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final match.
This quest for greatness fuels Djokovic in the later stages of his illustrious career, particularly as he seeks to break Margaret Court’s record for the most Grand Slam singles titles.
In his opening match on Court Philippe Chatrier since clinching Olympic gold, Djokovic displayed remarkable form, losing serve just once and executing 32 winners against 20 unforced errors.
On the same day, Germany’s Zverev triumphed over American Learner Tien with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, while Britain’s fifth-ranked player Jack Draper showcased resilience, coming back to defeat Italy’s Mattia Bellucci 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.
Looking ahead, British player Cameron Norrie is likely to challenge Djokovic in the fourth round after a stunning victory over Russian 11th seed Daniil Medvedev, finishing 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5.
Ninth seeded Alex De Minaur from Australia also progressed, defeating Serbian Laslo Djere with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6). Meanwhile, 17th seed Andrey Rublev from Russia secured a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win against South Africa’s Lloyd Harris. Czech 19th seed Jakub Mensik, who previously claimed victory over Djokovic at the Miami Open, edged past France’s Alexandre Muller 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-3.
In an unexpected turn, sixteenth seed Grigor Dimitrov retired from his match against American Ethan Quinn while leading 6-2, 6-3, 2-6. The Bulgarian struggled with movement due to a left thigh injury sustained during the second set.
Lastly, Italian Matteo Arnaldi made headlines by rallying from two sets down to defeat Canadian 29th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, with a final score of 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, while 30th seed Hubert Hurkacz from Poland faced a straight-sets loss to Brazilian Joao Fonseca, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.