The French Open’s fourth round heats up Monday with top seeds Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff on the courts, while Novak Djokovic chases a historic milestone – his 100th win at Roland Garros.
British fans will be glued to the night session, where Cameron Norrie takes on Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, followed by Jack Draper, the tournament’s fifth seed, also aiming to make waves.
On the men’s side, Djokovic is riding high after capturing his 100th career title at the Geneva Open.
At Roland Garros, he stands on the cusp of a rare feat – becoming only the second man after 14-time champion Rafael Nadal to notch 100 wins on the Paris clay.
Djokovic’s third-round victory over qualifier Filip Misolic marked his 99th match win at the French Open, equaling his own record at the Australian Open where he has lifted the trophy 10 times. His grass-court dominance is evident with 97 Wimbledon wins, alongside 90 at the U.S. Open.
“I’m just hoping to carry on,” Djokovic said. “Every time I step onto this court I’m playing for history.”
But Djokovic’s pursuit of Nadal’s jaw-dropping record of 112 wins will likely extend well into his 40s if he is to surpass it.
Standing in Djokovic’s way is Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who stunned the tennis world by upsetting Daniil Medvedev in the opening round and is now in the last 16 for the first time at Roland Garros. “That match with Daniil was so tough, such a big test for me,” Norrie reflected. “To make the second week for the first time is so, so good, especially coming at a time when I wasn’t stringing a lot of wins together.”
Norrie’s confidence is high, but Djokovic remains a formidable opponent. The Serbian star has yet to drop a set in Paris, while Norrie has lost all five of their previous meetings, including a recent semifinal in Geneva.
Their rivalry grew tense last year in Rome, where Djokovic criticized Norrie’s sportsmanship after an unexpected overhead smash at his back.
On the women’s side, Russian sixth seed Mirra Andreeva is yet to drop a set, showcasing dominant form after sweeping past Yulia Putintseva by winning nine of the last 10 games in their third-round match. Andreeva now faces a familiar foe in Daria Kasatkina, the Russian-born Australian who recently ousted 10th seed Paula Badosa in straight sets.
The two practice partners share mutual respect and friendship. “It’s going to be an entertaining match for sure,” Andreeva said. “We know each other very well, so it might be pretty tight.” Kasatkina recalled their only previous encounter last year in Ningbo, a thrilling three-set duel that ended in her favor. “Mirra is an amazing player and a very nice girl. We’re kind of friends. The last match was a big drama. Let’s see what happens here – it’ll be our first meeting on clay.”
Monday’s action kicks off on Court Philippe-Chatrier with matches featuring 20th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova versus Coco Gauff, Lois Boisson facing Jessica Pegula, Norrie against Djokovic, and Jannik Sinner taking on Andrey Rublev.
Meanwhile, on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, Andreeva battles Kasatkina, Alexander Zverev meets Tallon Griekspoor, Madison Keys clashes with Hailey Baptiste, and Jack Draper challenges Alexander Bublik.
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