Djokovic Shines, Pegula Stunned in Dramatic French Open

Photo: Reuters

Jack Draper, the fifth seed from Britain, is out of the French Open, and so is women’s third seed Jessica Pegula. She lost in a big upset to French player Lois Boisson, who is ranked 361 in the world.

Meanwhile, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, the sixth seed, played strong and calm as he beat Britain’s Cameron Norrie in straight sets — 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. Djokovic is now one step closer to winning his 25th Grand Slam title, which would be a new record.

This win also made Djokovic the second man ever to win 100 matches at the French Open. The only other player to do this is Rafael Nadal, who has 112 wins at the tournament. Djokovic will now face Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.

Speaking to the crowd in French, Djokovic said, "It’s a nice number, but the 101st win will be even better. I feel good here, and I want to make more history. I hope to win again in two days."

Zverev didn’t have to work too hard for his win. His opponent, Tallon Griekspoor from the Netherlands, had to stop playing in the second set because of an abdominal injury. This gave Zverev a pass to the next round.

Zverev, who is seeded third, has now made it to the quarter-finals in Paris for the seventh time in eight years. But he is still chasing his first Grand Slam title. He said, "Now the draw is getting tough. I’m excited to face the best players in the world."

Sinner Stays Strong

World number one Jannik Sinner from Italy played an amazing match against Andrey Rublev. Sinner won 6-1, 6-3, 6-4, and now has 18 straight wins in Grand Slam tournaments.

He has also won all 12 sets he’s played so far in this French Open and looks very strong as he aims to win this title for the first time. Sinner has already won the U.S. Open and Australian Open.

Bublik’s Big Moment

While Djokovic, Sinner, and Zverev were celebrating, Britain’s Jack Draper was on his way home. He lost to Alexander Bublik from Kazakhstan.
Bublik, 27, is known for his natural talent but has often struggled with staying focused in his career. This time, he played a smart and tricky game full of drop shots — 37 in total — and won the match 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Bublik, who had never gone past the second round in Paris before, was emotional after the match. "This is the best moment of my life," he said in tears. "I feel like I’ve already won the tournament. But I still have one more match, so I have to get ready."

Big Shocks in Women’s Matches

Earlier, France’s Lois Boisson gave fans a reason to cheer when she shocked Jessica Pegula with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win. Boisson, who received a wild card to enter the tournament, played fearless tennis and used her strong forehand to win the match. The crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier loved every moment.

As if the crowd wasn’t already excited, they got another surprise — the Champions League soccer trophy was brought onto the court! PSG’s Ousmane Dembele carried it in after his team beat Inter Milan. It was a big moment, as PSG became only the second French club to win the European Cup, after Marseille in 1993.

Gauff and Keys Keep USA Hopes Alive

Second seed Coco Gauff made sure there were no surprises in her match. She beat Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-0, 7-5. Gauff is still chasing her first French Open title. She was a finalist in 2022 and reached the semi-finals last year.

Gauff is also making history. She is now the youngest American to reach the fourth round in seven straight Grand Slams since Venus Williams did it in the late 1990s.
She will now face Madison Keys, who won her match easily against Hailey Baptiste. This means at least one American woman will be in the semi-finals.

Teen Star Andreeva Shines Again

Another young star, Mirra Andreeva from Russia, beat Australian 17th seed Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 7-5. With this win, Andreeva has made it to the French Open quarter-finals for the second year in a row. She is now the youngest player to do this in almost 30 years.

The French Open is heating up fast, with some players making history, others pulling off big upsets, and the top stars showing their power. The next few days promise more drama and excitement in Paris.