Novak Djokovic cruised into the quarter-finals at Roland Garros for a record-breaking 19th time, dispatching Britain’s Cameron Norrie in straight sets on Monday.
The three-time champion in Paris will next face third seed Alexander Zverev on Wednesday, renewing a familiar rivalry after securing a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 victory under the lights of Court Philippe Chatrier.
With his latest triumph, Djokovic now holds the record for the most quarter-final appearances at a single Grand Slam tournament.
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“I feel good. I know I can play better. But 12 sets played, 12 sets won, it’s been solid so far,” said Djokovic, who also marked his 100th career win at the French Open.
“It’s great, but victory number 101 would be better. I’m very honoured… But I need to continue now.”
The 38-year-old Serb leads Zverev 8-5 in their career meetings, although their most recent clash ended with Djokovic withdrawing due to injury during their Australian Open semi-final in January.
“He’s 10 years younger. He calls himself a veteran of the game. What should I call myself, then?” Djokovic joked when speaking about his upcoming opponent.
For Norrie, once ranked in the top 10 but now down at No. 81, Monday’s defeat was his sixth consecutive loss to Djokovic, a player he has yet to take a set from.
Djokovic appeared unaffected by the chaotic scenes in Paris the night before, when he encountered difficulty returning to his hotel after attending Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League celebrations at the Parc des Princes.
Ahead of his match, PSG star Ousmane Dembele presented the Champions League trophy to the fans inside Court Philippe Chatrier.
“They (security) were suggesting us at one point not to go back at all, to maybe find a place to sleep somewhere around here for a night, because at that point it was already past midnight and some gas bombs and cars under fire and stuff happening on the street that was really dangerous,” Djokovic explained.
“In the end we talked. We waited for a bit, and then we decided to go. Then it was fine. In the end we reached the hotel all good, but it was quite noisy with a lot of things happening outside of the hotel… “At some point it was getting out of hand, but it’s understandable that people are so excited.”
Aiming to become the first player to win 25 Grand Slam singles titles, Djokovic looked sharp from the outset against Norrie. He broke early and often, claiming the first set with minimal resistance.
The second set proved slightly more competitive, with Djokovic fending off a break point at 2-2 before holding serve and gradually tightening his grip on the match.
Norrie, competing in the fourth round of the French Open for the first time, was unable to mount a significant challenge in the third set. Djokovic sealed the win on his first match point to continue his unblemished run in the tournament—12 sets played, 12 sets won.
