"I warmed up my body and the pain kind of faded away" - Djokovic reveals details behind comeback win against Carreno Busta in Roland Garros quarterfinal match
ATP
World No.1 Novak Djokovic had to overcome a shaky start and an injury scare during his quarterfinal match against Pablo Carreno Busta, but managed to pull through and reach his 10th Roland Garros semifinal.
The Serbian seemed hampered by a left arm injury during the first set, as he was seen massaging it during every changeover in the first set. However, following treatment from a physio after losing that set, he turned the tables on Carreno Busta and triumphed with a 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-4 victory.
“I'm feeling okay,” Djokovic said after the match. “As the match progressed, I warmed up my body and the pain kind of faded away. It allowed me to play better and better and feel better.”
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The 33-year old has reached the last four of every Grand Slam tournament, which is a feat very few men have on their resume.
“These four tournaments, the four Grand Slams matter the most probably in tennis history. They are the most popular tennis events in the world. A lot of kids, when they take a racquet in their hands, they dream of winning Roland Garros, Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the US Open” Djokovic added. “I’ve been very fortunate to play very well throughout my career in Grand Slams."
The top seed will face fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals, as the Greek star swept past Russian Andrey Rublev 7-5 6-2 6-3 earlier in the day. Djokovic holds a 3-2 career lead over Tsitsipas, and won their only encounter on clay in Madrid last year.
“I think he's one of the hardest-working guys out there. He has a great team, obviously his father, Patrick Mouratoglou in his corner as well,” Djokovic said of Tsitsipas. “I expect a really tough, tough match, tough challenge for both of us. It’s the semi-finals of a Grand Slam, this is what you expect. You expect to play a top five, top 10 player. This is what I get. I'm hopefully going to be able to feel my best and play my best.”
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Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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- I, like writer of this wonderful article, also picked Noskova to win this entire thing. I would love it if she and Andreeva are in the final.Rapunzel12-11-2026
- "Priorities", Saba... spend less time in front of cameras, anti-Social Media, selfies and back to Tennis.
mandoist12-11-2026 - Tell this to Andreeva!
mandoist12-11-2026 - Andreeva with 11 games in a row to add to Saba's downward spiral issue !!! Personal feelings aside... Jess Pegula may want to reassess her evaluation of Mirra's abilities.
mandoist12-11-2026 - I predicted whenthe list was finalised that Linda Noskova would win the WTA Finals and her matches against Gauff and Kostyuk prove that. She is the best (underrated) player in the world!Rapunzel11-11-2026
- Either Lena has a chronic internal ailment (i.e., colitis, enteritis, Crohn's, or some type of lower abdomen issue) -- or she is once again dealing with 'Vukovitis'. Mental stress can indeed cause lower body pains. No matter... whatever is truly going on sucks. "Virus" excuse is getting a bit old -- and often -- at this point.
mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!
mandoist09-11-2026 - "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?
mandoist09-11-2026 - Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.
mandoist08-11-2026 - Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??
mandoist08-11-2026








