Roland-Garros: Alexander Zverev-Novak Djokovic, a shock at the crossroads of ambitions

Having struggled in recent months, the German and the Serbian have a lot at stake in a match that looks like a first test this year on the Parisian ochre, in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

A decisive match to continue dreaming of a Grand Slam trophy. Alexander Zverev is eyeing his first Major title after already reaching two finals (one at the Australian Open and one at Roland Garros) and six semi-finals. Novak Djokovic has been chasing his 25th since September 2023. The two players, ten years apart, meet in the quarter-finals of Roland Garros on Wednesday, June 4, for the 14th time in their careers (the Serb has won eight times) and for a match that represents a challenge and a turning point for each of them.

This year, the Serb and the German arrived at Porte d'Auteuil with just one title, a minor one at that: Alexander Zverev won the ATP 500 title in Munich, Germany, and Novak Djokovic the ATP 250 title in Geneva . Despite their commendable world rankings (Alexander Zverev is ranked 3rd, Novak Djokovic 6th), the two players did not approach the Paris tournament with full confidence.

The German's fault lies in a series of worrying setbacks after his decisive defeat in the Australian Open final (3-6, 6-7, 3-6 against Jannik Sinner) on January 25. "I felt like I was a bit burned out," he said on the eve of the Masters 1000 in Rome. The Serb has already lost twice in clay court Masters 1000 tournaments (Monte Carlo and Madrid). The former world number 1 nevertheless managed to reassure himself by winning in Geneva on May 24. "I only had two matches on clay. But I need to play to find my game on this surface," Novak Djokovic explained on the eve of his first match in Paris. "I think it was a good idea to be honest, because I was struggling a little bit with confidence and a few doubts about my game."

In Switzerland, the Serbian also won his 100th career title . More than a symbol for a player attached to records. At Porte d'Auteuil, Novak Djokovic once again has his sights set on a 25th Grand Slam title, a title he is obsessively chasing. "I have several motivations that keep me going. I don't hide it. I don't hesitate to say that I'm trying to make history," "Nole" emphasized, adding that maintaining motivation "wasn't getting any easier."

"From a motivational standpoint, you have to dig deeper and deeper and surround yourself with the right people. There are things that are very repetitive."

Novak Djokovic

at a press conference

"I try to mix things up, to play several sports to keep myself fresh," the player explained. To bring a fresh perspective, for example, he hired Andy Murray as his coach at the end of November. But the collaboration fizzled out and ended in mid-May.

For his part, Alexander Zverev has had a mixed bag on clay this season, the surface on which he has won nine of his 24 career titles. He lost early in Monte Carlo, before winning in Munich and reaching the quarterfinals in Rome, but lost in the third match in Madrid and the second in Hamburg. This is a reflection of his career, where he has often been placed in the top three but never won a Grand Slam title.

However, the German accepts his status as a contender for the final victory at Roland Garros. " Carlos, of course, is one of the favorites and the next three are : Jannik, Novak and myself," assured the player before the start of the tournament, pointing to the last season of the world number 2: " I remember that Carlos had a bad season on clay. He may have had more difficulty in the first rounds here, but he finally found his rhythm and won the trophy. I'm not saying that's what will happen to me, but I hope that's what will happen to me."

For this quarter-final, a remake of the one from the 2019 edition of the Parisian Grand Slam where the Serb won (7-5, 6-2, 6-2), Alexander Zverev refuses to see his opponent as an "outsider" . " He has won 24 Grand Slams. He is always ready to play the big matches. He will never be an outsider, " he insisted. "At the time, he was much better than me, especially at the Grand Slam level. We have played a lot of matches since [2019] . We had close matches and I had some bitter defeats. It's really a rivalry that goes back quite a long way."

Their last confrontation dates back to the last Australian Open. In the semifinals, the Serb had to retire after the first set (won 7-6 by the German), handicapped by a muscle tear sustained during his marathon quarterfinal. The German's only victory over the Serb in a Grand Slam. Novak Djokovic's physical stamina is one of the major questions of the match. "There are still a lot of unknowns. We don't really know what he's capable of at the moment , " emphasizes Arnaud Clément, consultant for franceinfo: sport. In the last Grand Slam tournaments, we saw him reach the semifinals after difficult matches with a minor injury. In important matches, often against the strongest players, he arrived with less physical freshness ," he rewinds.

Since the start of the tournament, only stubborn blisters on his foot have bothered the Serb. Having not lost a single set in his first four matches at Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic has spent nearly nine and a half hours on the courts. This could be important, as Arnaud Clément points out. "It 's important for him to win while preserving himself physically against Sasha Zverev, if he wants to consider making it to the semi-finals ." His opponent, however, spent around eight hours on the courts, having benefited from Tallon Griekspoor's retirement in the second set of their round of 16 clash. This should ensure a balanced match and guarantee a spectacular encounter for the most anticipated clash of the quarter-finals. Before potentially facing a certain Jannik Sinner, world number 1, in the semi-finals.