Djokovic Eyes 15th Consecutive French Open Quarter-Final

On Monday, Novak Djokovic will aim to secure his 15th consecutive French Open quarter-final appearance, following a record-breaking match at Roland Garros. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina comfortably advanced in the women’s draw.

Djokovic’s Grueling Path

Defending champion and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic reached the last 16 by overcoming Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in a demanding five-set match, which concluded at 3:07 a.m. on Sunday. This late finish set a new record for the latest completion time at Roland Garros.

“I think certain things could have been handled differently,” Djokovic commented, reflecting on the late-night finish. “There is a certain beauty in winning the match at three in the morning if it is the last of the tournament, but this wasn’t the case.”

Djokovic, a three-time French Open champion, will face Argentine 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo for a spot in the quarter-finals. A victory would mark Djokovic’s 370th Grand Slam match win. Cerundolo, who made headlines by defeating world number four Alexander Zverev on clay in Madrid earlier this season, will pose a new challenge for Djokovic as they have never met before.

Women’s Draw Highlights

In the women’s tournament, world number two Aryna Sabalenka showcased her dominance by defeating American 22nd seed Emma Navarro. Sabalenka, a semi-finalist in 2023 and a consistent performer in recent Grand Slams, secured her quarter-final spot with a 6-2, 6-3 victory, delivering 36 winners in just 69 minutes.

Navarro, playing in her first Grand Slam last 16, struggled to counter Sabalenka’s powerful play. Sabalenka, who was runner-up to Iga Swiatek in both the Madrid and Rome Open finals, will next face either Varvara Gracheva or 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the last eight.

Former Wimbledon champion and fourth seed Elena Rybakina also moved into the quarter-finals by defeating Ukrainian 15th seed Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-3. Rybakina, the only woman to beat world number one Swiatek on clay this year, is into her second French Open quarter-final and first since 2021. She will next meet Italian Jasmine Paolini, who overcame Russian Elina Avanesyan with a 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 comeback.

Zverev Faces Rune Challenge

In other men’s matches on Monday, Alexander Zverev continues his pursuit of a first Grand Slam title against Holger Rune in the night-session match. Zverev, who eliminated 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in the first round, survived a scare against Tallon Griekspoor in the third round, coming back from 4-1 down in the final set.

The 27-year-old German is participating under the cloud of an ongoing trial in Berlin over allegations of assaulting an ex-girlfriend. He has reached the fourth round at Roland Garros for the seventh consecutive year and is the only player to have reached the semi-finals in the last three French Opens. Rune, a two-time quarter-finalist in Paris, defeated Zverev in straight sets in their only previous clay-court meeting in Munich in 2022.

Fifth-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev will take on Australian 11th seed Alex de Minaur. Medvedev, who reached the French Open quarter-finals in 2021, aims to break a streak of four successive first-round exits. Additionally, last year’s finalist Casper Ruud will face Taylor Fritz for a spot in the quarter-finals.