The Fire Behind Jannik Sinner's Calm at the French Open

PARIS, MONDAY – World's top-ranked men's tennis player, Jannik Sinner, won 18 consecutive matches in the Grand Slam arena which brought him to the quarterfinals of the 2025 French Open. Sinner faced every pressure calmly until he always won straight sets at Roland Garros, Paris, France.

In the fourth round held at Philippe Chatrier Court, Roland Garros, on Monday (2/6/2025) evening local time or Tuesday (3/6/2025) early morning Indonesia time, Sinner triumphed over Andrey Rublev with a score of 6-1, 6-3, 6-4. This result was achieved after Sinner maintained the momentum from his victory over Jiri Lehecka 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 in the third round, two days prior.

Against Rublev, Sinner lost just seven points in the first five games. The Italian singles player made 25 winners, did not lose his serve in the two-hour match and faced only one break point.

Sinner was so calm facing Rublev. However, behind his calmness, Sinner had a “fire” burning in his heart.

"In my heart, there is actually a 'storm', but tennis is a game that heavily relies on mental strength, and you must strive not to show anything to your opponent," said Sinner.

Besides hiding his emotions, Sinner uses the mental factor to see the opponent's condition and control the game.

"When seeing an opponent in a pressured condition, we usually want to immediately raise the level of our game, but I am someone who has a habit of observing the opponent for a longer time. I try to understand what the opponent is feeling. At the beginning of my career, I would always unleash the 'storm,' not just internally. Now, I am happy to be able to control that," said the 23-year-old Italian tennis player.

With the ability to control his emotions, always appearing calm on the field, Sinner has won three Grand Slam titles since 2024. He claimed victory at the Australian Open and the US Open in that year and successfully defended his Australian Open title. Since winning the US Open in New York in 2024, Sinner has remained undefeated in 18 Grand Slam matches.

Djokovic's quarter-final against Zverev is a repeat of the unfinished Australian Open semifinal.

The continuation of his journey to extend his victory and maintain the opportunity to win the French Open for the first time will be faced against Alexander Bublik in the quarterfinals. His victory over the fifth seed, Jack Draper, with scores of 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the fourth round has brought Bublik to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Previously, the Kazakhstani tennis player had only reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam once, which was at Wimbledon 2023. For this reason, Bublik referred to his victory over Draper as the best moment of his life.

Victory in four sets without losing a game was also achieved by Novak Djokovic. The holder of 24 Grand Slam titles, including three from the French Open, defeated Cameron Norrie 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.

Next, he will compete for a quarterfinal ticket against Alexander Zverev, who only played 1.5 sets after his opponent, Tallon Griekspoor, withdrew in the second set due to injury. Zverev won 6-4, 3-0. Zverev will also be the first tough opponent for Djokovic, and vice versa.

Djokovic's quarter-final against Zverev was a repeat of the unfinished Australian Open semi-final. That time, Djokovic only managed one set, 6-7 (5), before retiring with a left hamstring injury. A post-tournament examination revealed a torn hamstring in the former world number one.

Before meeting at Melbourne Park in January 2025, the two tennis players had faced each other 12 times, with Djokovic holding a 7-5 advantage. In their two encounters on clay courts, they each claimed a victory. Zverev won in the final of the 2017 Rome Masters, while Djokovic defeated the German player in the quarterfinals of the 2019 French Open.

Djokovic said winning straight sets in four rounds would be a good asset to face Zverev, who has the best winning percentage at Roland Garros compared to the other three Grand Slams.

Zverev has a 79 percent win rate at the French Open, better than the Australian Open (76 percent), the US Open (74 percent), and Wimbledon (67 percent). Zverev also reached the final of the French Open 2024 but lost to Carlos Alcaraz.

The quarterfinals of the women's singles, which will take place on Tuesday, are marked by matches with a mission of revenge. The world number one tennis player, Aryna Sabalenka, is determined to avenge her defeat against Zheng Qin Wen in a match that will be held at Philippe Chatrier Court.

Sabalenka has only lost once in seven encounters with the Chinese tennis player, but that defeat has left a significant mark on her. The loss occurred just two weeks before the French Open, in the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 in Rome, with a score of 4-6, 3-6.

"I wanted to avenge that loss. I was happy to meet her in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros," Sabalenka said.

Meanwhile, Zheng stated that her dream of reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open has finally been realized. Although she won the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the same venue, she was very eager to reach the quarter-finals of the highest tournament on the clay court.

"I fight every year. I even remember the moments of the Olympics to keep my spirit up. I never pay attention to the score, just keep trying to earn point by point," said Zheng.

The winner of that match will face Iga Swiatek or Elina Svitolina in the semifinals. Swiatek leads 3-1. However, Svitolina's only victory came at a Grand Slam event, specifically in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon 2023. (afp/reuters)