Novak Djokovic has secured a front-row seat to the drama at Philippe Chatrier this Friday, earning his place with a hard-fought victory over Karen Khachanov by scores of 4-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2 and 6-4. In Paris, for the twelfth time, the former world No. 1 will chase a third Roland Garros title, matching Rafael Nadal for the most of all time at this Grand Slam on the Parisian clay. The stage is set for a Tuesday night session, where Djokovic would meet either Carlos Alcaraz or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals, depending on the evening results.
Djokovic did not start the match as he hoped. Across the net stood a formidable wall in Karen Khachanov, who has beaten the Serb in 10 previous encounters and carried a rhythm that was difficult to disrupt. Khachanov rode a dominant serve, winning 88% of his first-serve points, and he was aggressive with his forehand, staying solid from the baseline. Even when Djokovic tried to mix in drop shots, Khachanov stayed composed, denying the Serb the early momentum and claiming the first set after 56 minutes of intense baseline rallies.
The early surge caught Djokovic by surprise. The Serb found himself pressed by a ball-striking opponent who refused to blink. Djokovic, relying on patience and precision, faced an uphill battle as Khachanov’s game forced a higher error tally from the top seed. The Russian was relentless, pouncing on short balls and defending cleanly in key moments, which translated into a 2-3 break situation that Djokovic could not convert. The opening set slipped away, leaving Djokovic needing a strategic shift as the crowd inside the arena roared with every rally.
The second set followed a similar script, with Khachanov pushing the pace and Djokovic chasing the momentum. Khachanov remained stubbornly tough, maintaining pressure and turning the set into a protracted exchange that eventually reached a tiebreak. Djokovic had not secured a single breaking point in the set, and Khachanov looked poised to tilt the match decisively in his favor. In the pivotal moments of the tiebreak, Djokovic found a surge of efficiency, exploiting Khachanov’s slight missteps to secure seven points in a row and level the match.
The energy in the arena suggested the night could tilt either way. Shouts of support for Djokovic—Nole, Nole—echoed as the crowd sensed that the Serb might have the edge if he could translate the momentum into net advantages. A victory in the night session would put Djokovic on a collision course with the likes of Alcaraz, a matchup that would attract massive attention from fans across North America, especially in Canada and the United States, where the Roland Garros narrative resonates with travelers and tennis communities alike.
series of 15-0
Djokovic finally found a rhythm at the start of the third set, pushing into a decisive run that began after the two-hour mark. He unleashed a burst of energy, stringing together 15 consecutive points and converting three consecutive games to swing the set in his favor in roughly 45 minutes. The shift was palpable: the defending champion’s efficiency and endurance began to dominate the exchanges, and Khachanov faced a gradually increasing uphill climb.
The turning point did not erase Khachanov’s resilience, but it did tilt the balance. Djokovic extended his lead to 4-2, only to see Khachanov respond with a gritty hold that kept the score close at 4-4. Djokovic steadied himself, sealing the set with a moment of composure and the confidence that comes from experience at the highest levels. After a marathon three hours and thirty-eight minutes, Djokovic advanced to the semifinals, an outcome that keeps him squarely in the chase for a third Roland Garros crown.