Germany’s Alexander Zverev has secured his place in the French Open semi-finals for the fourth consecutive year, overcoming a resilient Alex de Minaur from Australia. The 27-year-old fourth seed won in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, defeating the 11th seed De Minaur in a hard-fought match.
Zverev now has another opportunity to reach the Roland Garros final, having narrowly missed out in the past three years. His next challenge will be Norwegian seventh seed Casper Ruud, who defeated him in last year’s semi-finals. “I’m happy to be back in another semi-final, hopefully I can win one,” Zverev expressed, reflecting his determination to advance further this time.
Ruud, 25, progressed to the last four without playing due to Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal on Tuesday. The defending champion, Djokovic, 37, had to pull out because of a knee injury sustained during his gritty fourth-round victory.
In the other semi-final, Italian second seed Jannik Sinner will face Spanish third seed Carlos Alcaraz. Both semi-finals are scheduled for Friday, coinciding with the resumption of Zverev’s ongoing court case in Berlin concerning domestic abuse allegations.
Despite these serious allegations, which Zverev denies, the Olympic champion has remained focused on his tennis. He has stayed in Paris throughout the trial, which began last week, and has chosen not to comment on the case during the tournament. Before the French Open started, Zverev stated that the legal matter was “not on my mind.”
With his place in the semi-finals secured, Zverev stands just two wins away from achieving a Grand Slam title that many believe his talent warrants. His ability to perform under the cloud of his personal legal issues underscores his resilience and focus on the court.
