"I can’t recall seeing anything like it": Novak Djokovic's heroics in French Open leaves John McEnroe 'mesmerised'
ATP
Former world number one John McEnroe has praised
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic for winning ‘back-to-back’ five-setters at the French Open. The 36-year-old is often regarded as the greatest player in
the history of men’s tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 24 Grand
Slam titles.
Djokovic is currently participating in the French Open, where
he booked his place in the quarterfinal after beating Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo
in a hard-fought contest with a score of 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
McEnroe, who is working for Eurosport in the ongoing
campaign as a commentator, heaped praise on the performance of the reigning
world number one and claimed that he has ‘never’ seen anything like that before
where a 37-year-old wins two back-to-back five-setters in a Grand Slam.
“I can’t recall seeing anything like it,” he said. “I still
am mesmerised and amazed that this guy can pull this off at this point. At 37,
how does this guy still find a way to pull these matches out? He played to 3am
in the morning and then recovers and gets down two sets to one and 4-2, somehow
wins that, gets up 2-0 in the fifth, blows that, and still wins. It’s truly
amazing.”
Novak Djokovic defeated Francisco Cerundolo to book his place in the quarterfinal of the French Open.
Before beating Cerundolo, Djokovic managed to get over the
line in another five-setter against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti. He eventually came out on top with a score of 7-5, 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.
The game will be remembered for a very long time as it
finished at three in the morning, which was the latest finish for any match in the
history of Grand Slam events.
Djokovic’s quarterfinal will be a repeat of last year’s French Open final. He will face Norway’s Casper Ruud, who booked his place in the last eight after beating America’s Taylor Fritz with a score of 7-6, 3-6,
6-4, 6-2.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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