Zverev halts Jodar’s ascent to secure semi-final spot

Alexander Zverev kept his quest for a first Grand Slam title alive with a dominant performance against the highly touted teenager Rafael Jodar, advancing to the French Open semi-finals. Following a string of unexpected upsets in Paris, the second seed stands as the highest-ranked remaining competitor in the singles draw.

Despite being long considered a prime candidate for major success, Zverev has historically faltered under pressure, having lost in three finals and seven semi-finals. Most notably, he saw his 2024 French Open final slip away against Carlos Alcaraz despite holding a two-set lead, and has now suffered four defeats in the Paris quarter-finals.

The clash with 19-year-old Jodar was anticipated to be a challenging encounter, given the Spaniard’s reputation as a future star. However, the 10-year seniority gap in experience proved decisive as Zverev secured a 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 6-3 victory.

"My goal and my aim is to keep going and win the matches ahead of me," Zverev stated after the match. "Today was a very good test against a very good player. I am happy to be in the semi-final but for now, that is it."

Zverev is one of only three top-10 seeds still in contention, alongside fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and tenth seed Flavio Cobolli, who are scheduled to face each other in Wednesday’s quarter-finals. Due to their positioning in the bracket, Zverev cannot encounter either of them until the final. Instead, he will face either Jakub Mensik (26th seed) or Joao Fonseca (28th seed), both of whom are aiming for their first Grand Slam semi-final appearance.

"I will watch the match tonight, but in my room on the TV with a nice drink in my hand," Zverev joked regarding the upcoming tie. "We had two days off but it is important to keep the rhythm and keep practising."

The German navigated to the quarter-finals with ease, conceding only a single set across four matches. In stark contrast, Jodar endured a grueling path, playing two five-setter matches and spending nearly 13 hours on court—approximately four hours more than his opponent.

While the fatigue might have been a concern, it did not initially hinder the youthful Spaniard, who broke to take a 5-2 lead in the opening set. However, nerves set in as Jodar attempted to serve out the game. Zverev capitalized on the error to level the set, subsequently dominating the tie-break. Jodar, appearing in only his second Grand Slam main draw, began to fade, and Zverev maintained relentless pressure from the second set onward, sealing the win with a powerful forehand.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-02 16:53:22 UTC