The 38-year-old Serbian achieved his 101st victory at Roland Garros, the venue for his Olympic gold medal success last year at the Paris Games, after three hours and 17 minutes of intense play.
Former world number one Djokovic is just two matches away from becoming the first player, male or female, to secure 25 Grand Slam singles titles.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sinner clinched his place in the semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over Kazakh Alexander Bublik.
“There was a lot of tension and pressure, but that’s normal when facing Zverev, one of the best in the world over the past five or six years,” Djokovic remarked in a post-match interview.
“My game relies heavily on running. At 38 years old, it’s challenging to keep up that level, but it works for me.”
“A match like the one this evening is the primary reason I’m still playing and competing at this level,” he added.
Zverev, last year’s finalist who is aiming for his first Grand Slam title, started strong, breaking Djokovic in the very first game.
Seeking to join the ranks of the Serb, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer as the only men in the Open Era to reach the French Open semi-finals in five consecutive years, the German maintained his lead to secure the first set.
Knowing he couldn’t match his 28-year-old opponent’s endurance, Djokovic aimed to shorten the rallies, employing a total of 35 drop shots to draw the tall Zverev to the net.
Djokovic broke his opponent at 2-1 in the second set and quickly surged to a 4-1 lead before Zverev could respond, ultimately claiming the second set with another drop shot.
The veteran then broke Zverev twice more to take the third set as his opponent began to tire, struggling with accuracy and lacking a backup strategy.
A break at the start of the fourth set put Djokovic ahead 2-0, putting him firmly on the path to victory, which he clinched on his fifth match point, reaching a record-extending 51st Grand Slam semi-final.
First Published: Jun 5, 2025 1:06 PM IST
