Jannik Sinner said it "doesn't get any bigger" than facing Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final, after ending Novak Djokovic's latest tilt at a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title in the last four on Friday.
Novak Djokovic suggested he may well have bidden adieu to Roland Garros after the 38-year-old was defeated in the semifinals by Jannik Sinner on Friday.
"Jannik is in tremendous form, and he has been the best player for the last couple of years," said Djokovic.
Jannik Sinner booked himself a second consecutive semi-final appearance at Roland Garros on Wednesday with a typically ruthless straight-sets victory over unseeded Kazakh Alexander Bublik.
Novak Djokovic eased into a record-breaking 19th Roland Garros quarter-final with a comfortable straight-sets victory over Cameron Norrie on Monday.
Football fan Djokovic may have missed the majority of PSG's 5-0 demolition of Inter, but the Serb told reporters after his win the final made its presence felt on court in Paris.
He is through to the last 32 in Paris for the 20th time, more than even 14-time champion Rafael Nadal managed.
Novak Djokovic got his tilt at a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title off to a solid start on Tuesday as the Serb beat Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the French Open.
The 38-year-old Djokovic starts off against 98th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald, three days after becoming only the third man to win 100 ATP titles with his victory in Geneva.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner, who retired from his last four match at Melbourne Park in January due to the injury and lost his opener at the Qatar Open last month, also said he was reaping the rewards of his work with coach Andy Murray.
World number one Sinner agreed to a three-month ban on Saturday, admitting "partial responsibility" for mistakes by his team which led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year.
Djokovic's bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open was ended when he was forced to retire injured after dropping the opening set against Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.
The former world number one responded on Saturday, posting a photo of an MRI taken of his left hamstring on the social media platform X with the caption: "Thought I'd leave this here for all the sports injury 'experts' out there."
Djokovic enlisted five-time Melbourne Park finalist Murray to help his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic's long wait for a record 25th major title will go on, a year after he exited Melbourne Park with a semi-final loss to Sinner.
The irrepressible 37-year-old put to bed any doubts about his ability to add to his 24 Grand Slam titles with a scintillating four-set takedown of Carlos Alcaraz in the Melbourne last eight on Tuesday.
The 10-time Melbourne Park winner Djokovic outlasted the younger Spaniard 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to set up a semi-final with Alexander Zverev.
Ageless Novak Djokovic won an epic generational clash against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday to stay on track for an 11th Australian Open title with Alexander Zverev next in the semifinals.
Djokovic, speaking at a news conference in Melbourne where he is taking part in the Australian Open, said that he cannot "pretend that nothing is happening".
