Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev are in the Australian Open semi finals.
Credit: Reuters Photos
The top 4 seeded players making it to the semifinal of Grand Slam is rare than one might have imagined. It is for the first time since Roland Garros 2019 that such an instance has occurred in the Men's Singles category.
This is only the forth time it is happening in Australia, with the last such instance in 2012, when Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murry all made it to the semis.
This had happened three times in four tournaments in 2011-12 when the same set of players achieved the feat at the French and the US Opens in 2011.
The other two times the top 4 seeded players advanced to the semifinals since the Open Era in Australia was in 2005 and 1988.
This year, top seeded Carlos Alcaraz will take on third placed Alexander Zverev, while Jannik Sinner (second seed) will play the legendary Novac Djokovic, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam.
Djokovic chases history
Last of Djokovic's 24 Grand Slam victories came in the US Open in 2023. With that win, the Serbian matched Margaret Court's Open era record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. He now eyes a 25th Grand Slam title, which will be the most for a man or woman in tennis history.
The 38-year-old was lucky to advance to the semifinal after trailing 4-6, 3-6 before Lorenzo Musetti conceded a walkover after suffering an injury to the right leg.
Djokovic will now face two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semi final. The Italian battled cramps to overcome Ben Shelton Sinner 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Sinner has a five-match win streak against the veteran, while the overall head-to-head record stands at 6-4 in favour of the defending champion.
The 24-year-old had also beaten Djokovic in the 2024 Australian Open, on his way to his first major title.