Rafael Nadal to Skip 2021 Wimbledon, Tokyo Olympics to Recover After French Open
Jun 17, 2021
Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts during the men's singles semifinal against Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, June 11, 2021. (Photo by Gao Jing/Xinhua via Getty Images)
On the heels of a grueling semifinal loss at the French Open, Rafael Nadal has decided to skip two of the biggest events of the summer.
Nadal tweeted on Thursday that he won't compete at Wimbledon or the Tokyo Olympics in order to rest his body and have enough time to recover "to prolong my career":
The goal is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy, that is to compete at the highest level and keep fighting for those professional and personal goals at he maximum level of competition.
Nadal specifically highlighted the lack of time between the end of the French Open and start of Wimbledon as a key reason that he won't be able to participate in the upcoming events:
"The fact that there has only been 2 weeks between [Roland-Garros] and Wimbledon, didn’t make it easier on my body to recuperate after the always demanding clay court season. They have been two months of great effort and the decision I take is focused looking at the mid and long term."
Nadal sat out two months earlier this year after the Australian Open because of a back injury. He did play in five events over the past two months, culminating in his run to the semifinals at Roland-Garros.
The 35-year-old lost a memorable four-set match to Novak Djokovic on June 11 that took more than four hours to complete.
This will mark the first time since 2016 that Nadal has withdrawn from Wimbledon prior to the start of the tournament. He was dealing with a wrist injury that year.
Nadal has represented Spain at the Olympics three times previously. He has won two career gold medals in men's singles (2008) and men's doubles (2016).
Wimbledon is scheduled to take place from June 28-July 11. The Olympics will run from July 23-Aug. 8 in Tokyo.
French Open 2021: Wimbledon Predictions After Djokovic vs. Tsitsipas Results
Jun 14, 2021
Serbia's Novak Djokovic slams a forehand to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium Sunday, June 13, 2021 in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Novak Djokovic stormed through the 2021 Australian Open bracket and emerged victorious. He staved off elimination numerous times at the 2021 French Open and ended up on top. And now, the 34-year-old is set up to potentially make some history later this summer.
By winning the first two major tournaments of the year, Djokovic is halfway to a calendar Grand Slam, a feat that has only been achieved three times in men's singles play. Don Budge did it in 1938, and Rod Laver accomplished it in both 1962 and 1969.
It's difficult to accomplish, but right now, Djokovic is rolling. He's won seven of the past 11 Grand Slam events, and his victory at the French Open on Sunday marked only the second time he's won the event at the Stade Roland Garros (he had only won it in 2016 before).
Djokovic is only the third men's singles player to complete a career Grand Slam twice (joining Laver and Roy Emerson), and he's now won 19 major tournament titles. That has him one shy of the all-time men's singles record, which is currently held by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
If the Serb completes the calendar Grand Slam by winning Wimbledon in July and the U.S. Open in September, then he'll pass Federer and Nadal. And shortly after winning the French Open, Djokovic laid out his plan moving forward.
"Obviously I will enjoy this win and then think about Wimbledon in a few days' time," Djokovic said, per Reuters. "I don't have an issue to say that I'm going for the title in Wimbledon."
In 2020, Wimbledon was the only one of the four Grand Slam events to be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. In the last one held, Djokovic won the tournament for a second year in a row.
So can Djokovic win a third straight Wimbledon title and fifth overall, or can somebody put a halt to his run?
Early Wimbledon Prediction
From 2003-19, Djokovic, Federer and Nadal have combined to win 15 of the 17 Wimbledon titles. The only other men's singles player to win the event at the All England Club is Andy Murray, who won in both 2013 and 2016.
So if anybody is going to beat Djokovic right now, history would favor either Federer, Nadal or Murray doing so. However, there are concerns regarding all three heading into the tournament.
Federer missed three major tournaments following two knee surgeries. He returned at the 2021 French Open, but he withdrew ahead of his fourth-round match to not push his body and get some additional rest before Wimbledon. However, will the 39-year-old be in good enough shape to make a run for his ninth title there?
Nadal may not play Wimbledon, as he is undecided if he'll enter the tournament. He dealt with a back injury earlier in the year and could opt to rest after making a deep run at the French Open. And the two-time Wimbledon champ has come up short in three of his past four Grand Slam appearances. If he plays, can he get back on track?
Murray typically fares well at Wimbledon, but he's played in only four of the past 14 Grand Slam events (the last being the 2020 French Open), and he hasn't made it past the second round at a major tournament since reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2017. How much rust will the Scot have to shake off next month?
Of course, there could always be a first-time Wimbledon winner, such as Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas or Dominic Thiem. They should all be legitimate contenders.
However, Djokovic is just on too much of a roll right now. He beat Nadal in the French Open semifinals, which has been a nearly impossible task, and then he beat Tsitsipas in the final after losing the first two sets. That goes to show how well Djokovic has been playing of late.
While surprises can always happen, the early prediction here is that Djokovic wins his 20th career Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, pulling even with Federer and Nadal and moving a U.S. Open victory away from completing a calendar Grand Slam.
Prediction: Djokovic wins his sixth career Wimbledon title
French Open 2021 Men's Final: Early Predictions for Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon
Jun 13, 2021
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 13: Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates as he holds the trophy after winning his Men's Singles Final match against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during Day Fifteen of the 2021 French Open at Roland Garros on June 13, 2021 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
The legend of Novak Djokovic grows.
After becoming the first man to beat Rafael Nadal at the French Open on more than one occasion—he was already just one of two opponents ever to beat Nadal at Roland Garros, alongside Robin Soderling—he won his second French Open title Sunday, defeating Stefano Tsitsipas in five sets.
It was the 19th Grand Slam title of Djokovic's career, putting him just one behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal atop the career leaderboard. And it put the rest of the ATP on notice for the upcoming Wimbledon, where Djokovic will be the favorite at the All England Club.
No surprises there. Djokovic is the two-time defending champion and has won the event five times overall. Dating back to 2018, he's also won seven of the past 13 Grand Slam titles.
There's little doubt that Djokovic is the top player in the men's game at the moment. That makes betting against him at Wimbledon a risky proposition.
Of course, there's always the looming threat of Federer. The star withdrew before the fourth round of the French Open, citing health concerns, but is gunning for Wimbledon—a tournament he's won a record eight times.
On Friday, Federer spoke to reporters about his health and his plans for the grass season:
March was still very early days for my comeback but I just felt like it was a good time to come back. I thought that Doha actually went extremely well overall because I know my expectations were close to zero over there. So I'm happy I was able to play two competitive matches over there.
Ever since I've only seen improvement, no setbacks. After I guess the two operations I have to be extremely careful with every move I do. But now it's really go time. This is essentially where the season really hopefully starts for me.
A Djokovic-Federer showdown at Wimbledon would be a delight. And of course, Nadal isn't to be dismissed either, though he didn't commit to playing at Wimbledon when asked about his plans.
"I don't know what I'll do in my future. ... The body after so much struggle usually suffers a slump," he told reporters. "Wimbledon this year is in two weeks. It's different from when I was 25 years old. I am 35 and you have to see how I recover in every way."
Nadal will surely make every effort to play in London. But a compressed schedule offers no such guarantees.
As for the other contenders Djokovic will potentially face, Tsitsipas showed Sunday he'll be a threat after taking the first two sets, even if he couldn't seal the deal. Other players to watch include Daniil Medvedev, Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Matteo Berrettini, among others.
But Djokovic will fairly be viewed as the favorite. He's the best player in the world right now, and it's not up for debate. He'll be the smart money at the All England Club.
French Open 2021 Results: Men's Final Score and Early Wimbledon Predictions
Jun 13, 2021
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts after winning a point against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during their final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium Sunday, June 13, 2021 in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
In a rematch of the 2020 French Open semifinal, Novak Djokoviccame out on top of Stefanos Tsitsipas to earn the 2021 title at Roland Garros on Sunday.
With the win, the Serbian star became one of just three men to win all four Grand Slam tournaments multiple times, earning his second French Open victory 6-7 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
For the second year in a row, Djokovic (who fell to Rafael Nadal in last year's final) sent Tsitsipas packing in five sets after battling back from a 2-0 hole. Djokovic also found himself down 2-0 against an up-and-coming player earlier in the tournament, when he overcame Italy's Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth round.
Tsitsipas won the first set in a tiebreaker, putting Djokovic in unfamiliar territory:
Prior to that tiebreak, Djokovic had won his past seven breakers in Grand Slam finals.
The last one he lost was against Federer at Wimbledon in 2015 #RolandGarros
But his second-set victory came more handily. The 22-year-old won 87 percent of first serves in the second set as Djokovic made 10 unforced errors, compared to two from Tsitsipas.
The tide changed in the third set, when Djokovic never trailed en route to what was really his first dominant showing of the afternoon. He calmed down and had just four unforced errors to 11 from Tsitsipas, his match high.
The Greek still managed to best the legend in terms of winners and first serve percentage in the set, but Djokovic had better win percentages on both first and second serves to hold on for his first set victory of the match.
With that momentum, he took the fourth set, jumping out to a 4-0 lead before Tsitsipas got on the board. Tsitsipas, down 5-1, managed to win another to hold Djokovic for a bit longer, but there was no comeback to be had before the decisive fifth set, where the Serbian won 85 percent of his first serves and won six of eight net points.
Overall, he finished winning 78 percent of his first-serve points with five aces and three double-faults in the four-hour, 11-minute match.
Wimbledon Prediction
Roger Federer bowed out of the French Open before his fourth-round match against Matteo Berrettini, citing his recovery from a pair of knee surgeries. But the 39-year-old shouldn't be counted out to earn his ninth title at Wimbledon.
One of the players who could challenge him in that tournament, Russian star Daniil Medvedev, was keenly aware of what the Swiss player is capable of on the grass court in London later this summer.
"Of course, we all know that a Grand Slam is still a goal for him," Medvedev said. "I think Wimbledon is always, even when he will be 50 years old, is a great chance for him."
Another legend who has cited wear and tear as problems that could keep him out of tournaments down the line is Rafael Nadal, who fell in the semifinals to Djokovic at Roland Garros. He was non-committal regarding an appearance at Wimbledon.
With that in mind, the obvious candidate is Djokovic, who has dominated the tennis scene this season. With five titles at Wimbledon (including the last two tournaments), there's no reason to believe he won't repeat this year, especially off of two Grand Slam victories.
DraftKings currently gives Djokovic the best odds to win the title at +125 (bet $100 to win $125), ahead of Medvedev and Tsitsipas (+600).
The Wimbledon Championships will run from June 28 to July 11.
For all the latest betting information and reaction, check out B/R Betting.
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Novak Djokovic: French Open Semi vs. Nadal 'The Greatest Match' I've Played in Paris
Jun 11, 2021
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates as he defeats Spain's Rafael Nadal during their semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium Friday, June 11, 2021 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Novak Djokovic won a four-set thriller over Rafael Nadal in the French Open semifinals on Friday in Paris.
Impossible Achieved 👊@DjokerNole becomes the first player in history to defeat Nadal in a Paris semi-final, besting the Spaniard 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2 to reach the title match.#RolandGarrospic.twitter.com/Cfy4178lSW
Djokovic had this to say after the four-hour, 11-minute match, per Christopher Clarey of the New York Times: "The first thing I want to say is it was my privilege also to be on the court with Rafa for this incredible match. It is surely the greatest match I have played here in Paris. It's also the match with the best atmosphere and ambiance and energy."
Nadal also provided remarks after another classic match between the two legends, per Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times: “This is the most important tournament of my year…but life is still sweet. This is nothing bigger than a loss on a tennis court.”
The match featured an epic third set, which Djovkovic won via tiebreaker. In the fourth and final set, Djokovic overcame a 2-0 deficit to win six straight games and cap his victory over Nadal.
🇷🇸 Nothing is Impossible 🇷🇸
Djokovic puts grit on full display, saving set point and capturing the third 7-6(4) for the two sets to one lead. Nadal is trailing by that margin for just the third time in his career in Paris.#RolandGarrospic.twitter.com/V6UWAIjIIf
Nadal, a 20-time major winner who has claimed the French Open title 13 times, including the last four, has won 105 of his 108 matches at Roland Garros, per The Athletic.
Two of the losses are to Djokovic, an 18-time major winner who won the 2016 French Open. The other was to Robin Soderling in 2009.
Djokovic will shoot for his 19th major win when he faces Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday in the final. The ATP Tour noted the 34-year-old Serbian will make men's tennis history if he claims the title:
If he defeats @StefTsitsipas on Sunday, @DjokerNole will join Roy Emerson and @RodLaver as 3rd player in history to win all 4 Grand Slam men's singles titles twice.
Djokovic would be the 1st man to win all 4 Grand Slams twice in Open Era (since 1968 @RolandGarros). #RolandGarros
Tsitsipas and Djokovic will meet to determine the French Open champion Sunday at 9 a.m. ET. The match will be televised on NBC.
French Open 2021 Results: Friday Winners, Scores, Stats and Singles Draw Update
Jun 11, 2021
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts as he defeats Spain's Rafael Nadal during their semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium Friday, June 11, 2021 in Paris. Novak Djokovic won 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Novak Djokovic dethroned the King of Clay in one of the best matches ever between the Big Three in men's tennis.
Djokovic outlasted Rafael Nadal in a four-hour, four-set epic to earn his second-ever victory at Roland Garros over the 13-time French Open singles champion.
The top-seeded Serb will appear in his 29th career Grand Slam final and sixth at the French Open on Sunday against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Tsitsipas clinched a spot in his first-ever Grand Slam final by taking down Alexander Zverev in a five-set showdown that preceded the epic Djokovic-Nadal showdown on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Djokovic's win was more remarkable when you consider he lost the first five games of the opening set.
Nadal appeared to be in complete control, but then Djokovic won three games in a row to gain a bit of momentum heading into the second set. That started a trend of service breaks that extended into the final two sets on the venue's showcase court.
Three breaks occurred in the first six games of the second set, which led to Djokovic earning a 4-2 advantage. He finished off that set with relative ease.
The third set is when the match turned from another showdown between greats into an epic that ranks up there with any match played between Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer.
The third set lasted over an hour-and-a-half and it featured three consecutive break points that led to Djokovic's 5-3 lead. Nadal earned the fourth break of the set to level the match at 5-5 and the set was determined in a tiebreak.
The 34-year-old took an advantage by the middle of the tiebreak and then cruised through the fourth set to claim his spot in the final.
Djokovic went down 0-2 in the fourth set, but then he won six consecutive points with three service breaks to dethrone the winner of the last four French Opens.
Tsitsipas looked like he was going to breeze past Zverev in three sets, but the German powered back in the third and fourth sets to force the fifth seed to close out in five.
The Greek took each of the first two sets by a 6-3 advantage, but the victories came in much different fashions. The 22-year-old picked up a break on Zverev's first service game in the first set and rallied from down 0-3 to secure the second set.
Zverev looked much better in the third and fourth sets, and the result was almost a carbon copy of his first-round performance, when he lost the first two sets and then came back to win in five.
It did not take long for Tsitsipas to break Zverev in the fifth set, as he got to the 24-year-old on his second service game.
Tsitsipas held serve from that point on and had an easy service game to close out the first of two semifinal matches.
Djokovic and Tsitsipas have met seven times in their careers. Djokovic holds a 5-2 edge in the series and won the only Grand Slam showdown between the two in five sets at the 2020 French Open.
Novak Djokovic Beats Rafael Nadal to Advance to 2021 French Open Men's Final
Jun 11, 2021
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts as he wins the third set against Spain's Rafael Nadal during their semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium Friday, June 11, 2021 in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Novak Djokovic ended Rafael Nadal's four-year run of dominance at the French Open with a four-setwin in an instant-classic semifinal on Friday that lasted more than four hours.
Djokovic prevailed 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 to hand Nadal his first career loss in a French Open semifinal or final.
Impossible Achieved 👊@DjokerNole becomes the first player in history to defeat Nadal in a Paris semi-final, besting the Spaniard 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2 to reach the title match.#RolandGarrospic.twitter.com/Cfy4178lSW
Coming into this matchup, Nadal had won 35 consecutive matches at this tournament dating back to 2017. His last loss was in 2016 when a wrist injury forced him to withdraw prior to a third-round match against Marcel Granollers.
In addition to Nadal's overall dominance at the French Open, he has owned Djokovic in their head-to-head battles. Djoker had lost seven of their previous eight matches at Roland Garros prior to this victory.
Nadal looked like he was going to be able to cruise to a win right out of the gate. He led the first set 5-0 in less than 40 minutes of playing time.
Despite dropping the opening set, Djokovic seemed to find his footing along the way and carried his momentum into the second set. He was able to take advantage of sloppy play by Nadal, who committed three double-faults in the first set.
Djoker's second serve was working well in the second set, and he had a 7-1 edge over his opponent. Nadal continued to look undisciplined with 12 unforced errors to help propel Djokovic to a 6-3 win to even the match at one set apiece.
In a meeting that was a classic from start to finish, the third set will go down as one of the best back-and-forth battles between these two iconic players. It took 92 minutes and went to a tiebreak to determine who would have the advantage going into the fourth set.
The third set featured a combined total of 96 points, 37 winners and six aces.
I've run out of adjectives to describe what I'm watching. And we're still in the third set. This is just ridiculous stuff from both Nadal and Djokovic.#RolandGarros
After splitting the first six games of the set, Djokovic jumped out to a 5-3 lead and seemingly looked in control by breaking Nadal's serve. He went up 30-0 in the 10th game before a bad forehand shot opened the door for Rafa to get his own break and even things up.
Nadal won the 11th game by saving two break points to go up 6-5, but he was unable to break Djokovic's serve to avoid the tiebreak.
🇷🇸 Nothing is Impossible 🇷🇸
Djokovic puts grit on full display, saving set point and capturing the third 7-6(4) for the two sets to one lead. Nadal is trailing by that margin for just the third time in his career in Paris.#RolandGarrospic.twitter.com/V6UWAIjIIf
It seemed like Nadal was running out of gas during that marathon set. He had 55 unforced errors in the match, with 23 coming in the third set alone.
The match was taking so long through three sets that it was approaching 11 p.m. local time when fans would have been asked to vacate Stade Roland Garros because of a COVID-19 curfew.
Instead, it was announced in the arena that fans would be permitted to stay past the cutoff time and finish watching the match.
What a scene at Rolland Garros. Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal playing an EPIC semifinal match at the French Open. Covid curfew is 11PM. Health authorities just ruled on the spot that fans can stay for the duration and the place erupted.
After a brief timeout in the action, it seemed like the match was destined for a fifth set. Nadal won the first two games in the fourth and seemed to find his footing.
Things quickly took a turn, however, with Djokovic winning six straight games to put the match away in four hours, 11 minutes. The win was his first over Nadal at a clay-court event since the 2016 Italian Open quarterfinals.
Djokovic is now one victory away from his second career French Open title. The 34-year-old would also become the first player on the ATP Tour to win the first two Grand Slam tournaments of the season since he accomplished the feat in 2016.
What's Next?
Djokovic will play Stefanos Tsitsipasin the 2021 French Open final on Sunday at 9 a.m. ET on NBC.
French Open 2021: Friday Roland Garros Schedule and Bracket Predictions
Jun 10, 2021
Spain's Rafael Nadal serves the ball to Argentina's Diego Schwartzman during their quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium Wednesday, June 9, 2021 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will meet for the 58th time on Friday in the French Open men's semifinals.
Djokovic owns the slightest of edges over Nadal in the overall series at 29-28, but there is a good chance that total evens out because of Nadal's clay-court dominance.
Nadal owns a 17-7 record over Djokovic on clay, and he has won the last five meetings between the two stars on the surface.
One of those victories occurred in the 2020 French Open final, which Nadal won in straight sets.
Before Nadal and Djokovic take the court, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev face off for the other spot in the men's singles final.
Tsitsipas carries a 5-2 advantage in his career over Zverev, and he is looking for his first-ever Grand Slam final appearance. Zverev is aiming for his second berth after losing to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 U.S. Open final.
Predictions
Rafael Nadal over Novak Djokovic
The third-seeded Spaniard ran through the French Open final a year ago by limiting Djokovic to two games in the first two sets.
Djokovic played better in the third set of that match, but he could not earn a set off the 13-time Roland Garros champion.
The top-seeded Serbian is 1-7 versus Nadal at Roland Garros. The only victory occurred in the 2015 quarterfinals.
Djokovic has taken four sets off Nadal in his seven defeats to the Spaniard on the Paris clay, which is not a promising sign for a victory Friday.
The No. 1 seed has also looked more vulnerable in the last two rounds, as he dropped three sets to Lorenzo Musetti and Matteo Berrettini.
Djokovic found another gear in both matches to close out the Italians, but he can't afford to give such an advantage to Nadal.
Nadal holds a 15-1 set record in this year's tournament. The only dropped set came against Diego Schwartzman in the final eight.
When Nadal has been tested, he has responded with a commanding performance. The latest example of that was winning the final set over Schwartzman, 6-0. He won 22 of the final 26 points to reach the semifinals.
Djokovic could take a set off Nadal on Friday, but it seems unlikely he will break the clay-court dominance of the Spaniard.
Stefanos Tsitsipas over Alexander Zverev
Tsitsipas has had an edge over Zverev.
The fifth-seeded Greek has put together five straight wins over a three-year span against Zverev, and he has looked like the stronger player in Paris over the last week-and-a-half.
Tsitsipas earned the biggest win of any of the semifinalists by knocking out No. 2 seed Danill Medvedev in straight sets on Tuesday.
Just like Nadal, Tsitsipas owns a 15-1 set record this year at Roland Garros. The only set he dropped came at the hands of John Isner.
Prior to Paris, Tsitsipas won a pair of clay-court titles in Monaco and Lyon. He had three losses in the buildup to Roland Garros, two of which came against Djokovic and Nadal.
Zverev is on a 14-set winning streak, but all of those victories came against unseeded players. The draw opened up for him after Thiem was knocked out in the first round.
The sixth-seeded German could turn in a strong match on Friday, but he has not been as successful on clay as Tsitsipas.
The edge on the surface and in head-to-head battles should bolster Tsitsipas' confidence and help him get through to the final to take on one of the giants of the men's game.
Novak Djokovic Beats Matteo Berrettini, Will Face Rafael Nadal in French Open Semis
Jun 9, 2021
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 09: Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates a point during his Mens Singles Quarter-Final match against Matteo Berrettini of Italy during Day Eleven of the 2021 French Open at Roland Garros on June 09, 2021 in Paris, France. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Novak Djokovic is through to the semifinals of the 2021 French Open after beating Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 on Wednesday on Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros.
The 2016 champion has now made three straight semifinal appearances and 11 all time.
It had mostly been smooth sailing for Djokovic through the first three rounds as he failed to drop a single set. Then Lorenzo Musetti took the first two sets off of him in their fourth-round encounter. Musetti quickly faded from there and retired in the fourth set.
Djokovic clearly wanted to avoid a similar start against Berrettini. He staved off break points in the first and third games before earning a break for himself to take a commanding 4-1 lead in the opening frame.
Berrettini only committed 11 unforced errors over the set, but his nine winners were indicative of how he couldn't put Djokovic away when he had an opportunity.
Djokovic takes the first set 6-3 saving one break point in three separate games. Played better on key points, but very high level from both so far. Big hitting, sweet spots flying around, I had to turn down the volume at some point 😂 #RG21
The same story played out in the second set as Berrettini had no answer for the No. 1 player in the world.
Djokovic was particularly effective on serve.
Standing on the deuce court, he took a little off his serves in order to produce more spin and push Berrettini further to his right. In the ad court, he opted for flatter serves that targeted the Italian's backhand.
The result was Djokovic winning 77 percent of his first-service points and going 26-of-40 on second serve.
Berrettini fought back in the third set, using his forehand to great effect. He also picked up seven aces as he threw everything he had at Djokovic to stay alive in the match.
With the score tied at four games apiece, Djokovic had a break-point chance but couldn't convert. Berrettini held serve and quickly put his opponent away when trailing 5-6 to force the tiebreaker.
Djokovic appeared to be in the driver's seat up 5-4 and on serve. However, he dumped a forehand into the net and did the same with a backhand on the next point to open the door for Berrettini.
Djokovic led 3-2 in the fifth set before play was brought to abrupt halt as fans were ordered to leave the arena so as to meet the temporary curfew put in place. One expected Berrettini to be hurt the most by the situation because the live crowd had provided him with much needed energy throughout the match.
He continued to hang around, while Djokovic had to deal with a cut that opened on his left palm when he lost his footing and fell to the court in the sixth game.
The 34-year-old Serb looked somewhat listless after the restart but managed to hold serve. That continued to amplify the pressure on Berrettini, who finally faltered while serving to stay alive at 5-6. At deuce, his backhand clipped the top of the net and sailed wide. Then he dumped a sliced backhand into the net on match point.
What's Next?
Djokovic's win sets up a highly anticipated semifinal clash with Rafael Nadal. Djokovic owns a slim 29-28 head-to-head advantage, but Nadal is 7-1 when they've met in Paris.
French Open 2021 Results: Wednesday Winners, Scores, Stats, Singles Draw Update
Jun 9, 2021
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts as he defeats Italy's Matteo Berrettini in a quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium Wednesday, June 9, 2021 in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
The men's singles match we have been waiting for at the French Open will take place Friday.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal won their quarterfinal matches Wednesday to set up a rematch of the 2020 men's final.
Both of the star players advanced to the final four through four-set victories. Djokovic outlasted Matteo Berrettini, and Nadal took down Diego Schwartzman on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The men's semifinals feature four of the top six seeds in the draw, but the same can't be said about the women's singles competition.
Maria Sakkari joined Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova as one of the two seeded women in the final four. The Greek advanced by way of a straight-set win over reigning champion Iga Swiatek.
Sakkari and Barbora Krejickova face a quick turnaround to Thursday's semifinal matches. The men's semifinals take place Friday.
No. 3 Rafael Nadal def. No. 10 Diego Schwartzman, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
Djokovic let out an explosive roar after he closed out Berrettini on his third match point in the fourth set. He had a hard time breaking the ninth-seeded Italian, as he converted on four of his nine opportunities in the match.
The No. 1 seed did not let Berrettini feel comfortable at all in his return game, as Djokovic allowed only three break-point chances.
Berrettini failed to convert on any of them and he had to battle in a third-set tiebreak just to get a set off the Serbian. Berrettini won the third-set tiebreak by a slim 7-5 margin, but he could not carry that momentum into what was the final set.
Djokovic finished off the match after an 18-minute delay in which spectators had to be removed from the stadium because of the curfew in place in Paris.
Nadal's set-winning streak was ended at 36 by Schwartzman.
However, the second-set win was the only victory the 10th-seeded Argentinian could get off Nadal.
The reigning men's singles champion delivered a commanding response in the final two sets and finished off the match with a fourth-set shutout.
Schwartzman only broke Nadal's serve on three occasions, two of which came in the second set. His final break-point win at 5-4 in the second set allowed him to level the match.
Once Nadal took control again, he put in a masterclass of a finish. He won 22 of the final 26 points of the match.
Women's Singles
No. 17 Maria Sakkari def. No. 8 Iga Swiatek, 6-4, 6-4
A new Grand Slam winner on the women's side will be crowned Saturday.
Maria Sakkari's elimination of Iga Swiatek confirmed that. Swiatek won her first Grand Slam at Roland Garros last October.
The 17th-seeded Greek was impressive in the straight-set win over the top women's seed remaining in the tournament.
Sakkari benefited the most from a three-game swing at the end of the first set and the start of the second set. She broke Swiatek's serve at 4-4 in the opening set and followed that up with a hold that clinched an early victory.
Sakkari continued that momentum into the second set, as she broke Swiatek in her first service game. The Greek kept that advantage throughout the second set. She held serve on each of the five occasions she had in the final set.
Sakkari will take on Krejcikova, who ousted American teenager Coco Gauff in the afternoon's first match.
Krejcikova and Gauff went through a battle at the back end of the first set. Krejcikova held at 5-6 after 10 points were played on her serve.
The unseeded Czech then fought back from 4-6 down in the first-set tiebreak to secure an advantage in the match. Krejcikova went on to capture the first five games of the second set that opened up a large margin of error to close out the victory.
The 25-year-old's serve was broken on her first chance to finish the match on serve, but she did not waste another opportunity.
Krejcikova won four straight points on her serve in the final game to set up her clash with Sakkari on Thursday afternoon.
