Zverev ready for battle with Ruud: "He's a great player".

Alexander Zverev is no stranger to semi-final Fridays at Roland-Garros. After defeating De Minaur in the quarters (6-4, 7-6, 6-4 in 2h59), he will be facing a Porte d'Auteuil semi-final for the fourth year running. The only hitch for the 27-year-old: he's lost them all! Beaten by Tsitsipas in 2021 (6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3), forced to retire against Nadal in 2022 (7-6, 6-6 ab.) and then swept aside by Ruud in 2023 (6-3, 6-4, 6-0), the German is still looking for his first Paris final.

Zverev knows he'll be up against his nemesis from last year, but he's not putting himself in the role of favorite. Faced with a very dangerous opponent, especially at Roland Garros (two-time finalist), the world No. 4 preferred to keep a low profile: "He's a great player. Two finals in a row and a third semi-final in a row speak for themselves. These figures speak for themselves.

He's one of the best players on this surface, that's for sure. I'm going to have to play my very best tennis to have a chance of winning. I hope to finally win a semi-final (laughs)."