On the finish of April, after struggling a 3rd successive defeat on clay, and seeing two first-round exits at Masters 1000 occasions, Novak Djokovic bleakly admitted that it’s time for him to just accept the ‘new actuality’ that his profession is in now.
Articulate as at all times, Djokovic succinctly summarised his frustrations at being unable to elevate his recreation and motivation again to the world-dominating ranges it had been just a few years in the past. A month later, with 9 consecutive wins on clay, together with the scalping of the World No. 3 and a a centesimal profession title, maybe Djokovic himself could confess that these issues could have been a tad bit exaggerated.
However as Jannik Sinner, the World No. 1 and new dominant power in males’s tennis, ran the 24-time Main winner ragged, beating him 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3) of their French Open semifinal late on Friday, Djokovic was certainly compelled to confront a brand new actuality, simply not the one he had forewarned a month in the past.
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Djokovic nonetheless stays the tactical grasp of this sport, with a playbook consisting of each conceivable trick and an arsenal stuffed with lethal weapons. However the full model of play that he pioneered, and later perfected, is not the defining technique to win on tour.
In tennis’s new world order, it’s the attack-first baseline play executed by Sinner – and to an extent, Carlos Alcaraz, who will meet the Italian within the title conflict on Sunday – that now guidelines the roost. Each single ball is pulverised with pure, harmful shotmaking that may overwhelm all opponents and techniques within the impartial exchanges, relentless energy assembly needle-like precision.
Flawless Run to the Closing 🔝
Sinner takes down Djokovic and reaches the #RolandGarros ultimate with out dropping a single set. Alcaraz awaits! 🎾🔥
Watch one of the best moments of this epic conflict—highlights offered by @Emirates ✈️#RolandGarros #FlyBetter #Emirates pic.twitter.com/LPFhQsI9S9
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 6, 2025
Let there be no exceptionalism about this consequence. Djokovic was neither missing motivation nor bodily compromised. He was razor sharp and raised his recreation as a lot as he may, contending with the pure venom escaping Sinner’s racquet because the match wore on. For that alone, the Serb, at 38, on the again of a disappointing 12 months in opposition to the World No. 1 who’s 14 years his junior, deserves loads of credit score.
This was maybe one of the best tennis that Djokovic has mustered since his outstanding Olympic gold triumph at this very stadium final 12 months. If expectations had been harboured of him to have left his greatest for final – the best tennis he can produce for the hardest opponent he can face – that’s precisely what he did. That it got here in a straight-sets defeat could really feel like a depressing critique of his declining stage however that’s removed from the reality. As an alternative, it speaks of Sinner’s phenomenally excessive stage atop the tennis world in the intervening time. A lesser participant would have crumbled in the identical encounter. Lots have previously 5 years.
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In an totally absorbing three-hour battle that was quite a bit nearer than the scoreline recommended, the phrases of engagement had been dictated solely by Sinner. It was the Italian who took cost from the baseline from the very starting; he was the one to come back up clutch underneath stress, to serve himself out of bother when required, to be the superior returner, to make all the fitting selections within the decisive moments, and at the same time as he stepped into Djokovic’s lair – tiebreaks in high-stakes matches – the stress he piled on him made his opponent blink first.
As Djokovic was stretched throughout the court docket to all corners, he was made to execute his plans with whole perfection. Anything led to him being blown away, his margin for error diminished infinitesimally. Finally, Sinner proved an excessive amount of for the Serb, the World No. 1 rolling right into a fourth Main ultimate, after successful every of his final three, with out shedding a single set within the match. He turns into the fifth man this century to achieve three consecutive Grand Slam finals, following Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray.
🎙️ “Jannik confirmed why he is No.1 on this planet”
Novak Djokovic congratulated Sinner on reaching the #RolandGarros ultimate and expressed his gratitude to the group for his or her help tonight. 🎾👏 pic.twitter.com/5YcwdCnEtt
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 6, 2025
Sinner’s outstanding composure underneath stress marked the 2 most important passages of play on this match. After taking management early on – one early break had given the Italian the impetus to take the primary set – the same sample adopted within the second, till his crafty opponent turned the screws.
In 40 earlier service video games in opposition to Djokovic, Sinner had not conceded a single break level. He would achieve this for the primary time whereas serving for the second set, because the Serb and a recalcitrant crowd turned Court docket Philippe Chatrier right into a stress cooker. Having ceded the benefit, and given Djokovic’s historical past, the match could have been anticipated to show, however Sinner stayed cool, rained down large returns, received the break again and served out for a 2-0 lead.
Djokovic would go up one other gear whereas preventing within the third set, however Sinner would proceed to match it till the very finish as soon as once more. The Serb discovered himself with a number of set factors on Sinner’s serve up 5-4, however the Italian nervelessly got here up clutch as soon as once more, ultimately taking it right into a tiebreaker. The seven-point shootouts are usually the place the Serb prevails with aplomb, however right here, with the mountain of the scoreline and a relentless opponent behind him, he would crumble. Djokovic made three unforced errors, together with netting the most straightforward of overheads, as Sinner walked away with the straight-set victory.
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The Italian units up a dream ultimate with Alcaraz, the defending champion and solely participant who comes near his personal sky-high stage. It will likely be their twelfth assembly, and first in a Grand Slam ultimate.
For Djokovic, there are many positives to take into Wimbledon; his superior grass court docket experience is extra more likely to prevail over the younger brigade there than on the unforgiving clay of Roland Garros, a floor on which his adversaries have already fine-tuned their video games.
However, regardless, he leaves Paris with the information that even at his greatest stage, he’s not one of the best tennis participant on this planet. A brand new actuality certainly.