French Open 2023: Novak Djokovic breaks Rafael Nadal’s big record, reaches 17th quarterfinal at Roland Garros

Novak Djokovic broke a tie with rival Rafael Nadal to reach the French Open quarter-finals for a record 17th time, never really in trouble during his 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Juan Pablo Varillas on Sunday . Djokovic is inching closer to besting Nadal in a more prestigious category: the Grand Slam singles championship. Both currently sit at 22. For Djokovic, that total includes two at Roland Garros in 2016 and 2021, and he could become the first man to hold at least three trophies from each major tournament.

Nadal is a 14-time champion in Paris but is missing this season with a hip injury; He underwent arthroscopic surgery on Friday night. At the French Open 2023 against 94th-ranked Varillas, who had never won a Slam match until this event and then won three consecutive matches in five sets, Djokovic, surprisingly, put on his best performance in a warm-up on Court Philippe Chatrier. were not , sunny day.

The 36-year-old from Serbia finished with more than double winners, 35-15, and fewer unforced errors. He took 15 wickets for 17 runs in his visits to the nets. He served 80% of his first serve. He converted 6 out of 12 break points, dropping his serve only once. Overall, a no-drama showing in under two hours from Djokovic, who has yet to drop a set through four matches.

He had a less-than-friendly back-and-forth with some onlookers in Paris over the past week, but when it ended, Djokovic gestured as if to hug everyone as he uttered his two-syllable surname. Hear some chants of, ‘No-le!’

Novak Djokovic played his best tennis of the tournament against Juan Pablo Varillas of Peru.

View Highlights_#Roland Garros pic.twitter.com/29iGQz9ayr— roland-garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2023

In his 55th career major quarterfinal – Roger Federer, who retired with 58, is the only man to reach more – and 14th consecutive at Roland Garros, No. 3 seed Djokovic will face No. 11 Karen Khachanov on Tuesday. Khachanov, who is 1-8 against Djokovic, beat Lorenzo Sonego 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(7), 6-1 to make it to the Slam for the fifth time.

Other men’s fourth-round matches on Sunday were No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz versus No. 17 Lorenzo Musetti, and No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas versus Sebastian Offner. Two unseeded women advanced to the quarterfinals and will now play each other: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Karolina Muchova, the 2021 runner-up at Roland Garros.

Pavlyuchenkova, who missed last year’s tournament due to a long absence due to a knee injury, beat third seeded opponent No. 28 Elise Mertens 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-3. Muchova was a 6–4, 6–4 winner against Alina Avanesyan, who had lost in qualifying but reached the main draw when another player withdrew.