Gen Z aim to deny history-chasing Djokovic

The era of the 'Big Three' may be ending, but the threat remains.

Players born in the 1990s won only two Grand Slam singles titles combined. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic dominated major prizes for over two decades.

Now, two players born after 2000 have captured seven major titles together. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are currently at the top. They are on a collision course in Paris.

However, Novak Djokovic still looms large in the tournament.

The 38-year-old faces Sinner, who is 15 years younger than him. This match is Friday's first French Open semi-final. Djokovic has become the oldest man to reach this stage since 1968.

World number three Alexander Zverev commented on Djokovic's performance after losing to him. "I think he's a bit underrated," Zverev said. He noted that many people count Djokovic out already.

Zverev pointed out that Djokovic has wins over Alcaraz and himself this year. "Forget the age," he added. "Those are pretty good results."

Defending champion Alcaraz will try to continue his dominance over Lorenzo Musetti in the second semi-final.

Djokovic aims for another piece of history at Roland Garros. A win would give him a record-breaking 25th major singles title.

No player has defeated all three top men's players to win a major since ATP rankings began. Djokovic heads into his 51st major semi-final with a nine-match winning streak.

He secured his 100th tour-level title last month in Geneva, boosting his confidence after three straight defeats. Those losses included early exits at the start of his clay-court season.

Entering Roland Garros as the sixth seed was unusual for him. Yet he showed age isn't slowing him down during his match against Zverev.

Djokovic won a remarkable 41-shot rally to save a break point in their match's fourth set. He used drop shots and serve-and-volley tactics effectively against Zverev’s baseline play.

Sinner will present a tougher challenge for Djokovic now.

Their head-to-head record stands at 4-4, but Sinner has won their last three meetings. The reigning US Open and Australian Open champion is on a 19-match Grand Slam winning streak.

This streak is the fourth longest this century behind Djokovic (30), Federer (27), and Nadal (25). Sinner seeks to make history by becoming the first Italian man to win Roland Garros since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

Despite serving a three-month doping suspension earlier this year, Sinner remains world number one for his 52nd week. He could also become the first man since Djokovic in 2021 to win three consecutive majors.

With impressive consistency and precision, Sinner hasn't dropped a set this fortnight yet. He now faces arguably tennis's greatest defensive player: Djokovic.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz looks to maintain dominance over Musetti as well.

Alcaraz has beaten Musetti five times recently, including twice on clay this season in Monte Carlo and Rome.

He seems to have found peak form at just the right time. After losing only five games against Tommy Paul in his quarter-final match, he expressed great confidence: "My feeling today was unbelievable."

Alcaraz did not face any break points during that match and aims for another victory over Musetti now. He has lost just one set in their previous five encounters.

Musetti hopes to provide more resistance this time around after improving his serve during off-season training.

"We shortened my motion for better control," Musetti explained about his changes. "Now I can hit aces or use my serve as a weapon."