Sinner and Novak Djokovic will face off in a much-anticipated debut at the French Open on Friday. The semi-finals of the clay Grand Slam are scheduled to take place at 1 a.m. GMT the next day, and it will be the latest chapter in the duo's impressive head-to-head ATP record. Because the current record between the two is a 4:4 draw.

From last year's most recent meeting in Shanghai to the first clash on clay in Monte Carlo 2021, here's a recap of Djokovic's previous eight matchups with Sinner.

2024 Shanghai Masters final, Sinner 7-6(4)/6-3 Djokovic

Sinner put in a strong performance in the title race at the 2024 Shanghai Masters, levelling his ATP head-to-head record with Novak Djokovic from a 3-4 deficit to 4-4. It was the first time the two had met in a ATP1000 Masters event since their opening match in Monte Carlo three years ago. Sinner went all the way to lift his seventh tour title of the 2024 season.

Sinner had already sealed the title of No. 1 in PIFATP as he ended Djokovic's unbeaten streak in five finals in Shanghai and further turned the tide of the pair's matchup. Sinner's performance in 2024 has improved significantly, finishing with a 73-6 record.

After the game, Djokovic commented:

"He's very aggressive on the baseline and he's going to take the initiative as soon as he gets the short ball. Both forehand and backhand are solid, with few mistakes, and they also try to compress their opponent's time. It reminds me of what I've been doing in my career – playing fast-paced tennis and squeezing my opponent's time to sort out the opponent. You want your opponent to always feel pressure from your shots, your speed and your presence on the pitch, and he did that. He's been very consistent this year and really impressive. ”

2024 Australian Open semifinals, Sinner 6-1/6-2/6-7(6)/6-3 Djokovic

At the 2024 Australian Open, Sinner seized the opportunity and managed to achieve back-to-back victories over Djokovic. In a one-sided matchup, Sinner held the 10-time champion from the baseline and advanced to his first Grand Slam final.

After an unusually lackluster start, Djokovic signaled the start of the iconic Grand Slam comeback by winning a third-set tie-break. However, Sinner put in a strong performance in the fourth set to dispel fears that his two-set lead at Wimbledon in 2022 would be reversed and seal the win. The Italian later admitted that the clash with Djokovic at the end of 2023 set the stage for ending the Serb's 33-game winning streak at Melbourne Park.

Sinner Says:

'For me, it was a great honour to play three matches with him in 10 days at the end of last year. Although you can train with him, the game is always different. That definitely helped me in a way, but on the other hand, the Grand Slam is also different on a mental level. I just tried to play as relaxed as I could while having the right tactical plan in my head and I think it worked out well today. ”

2023 Davis Cup semifinals, Sinner 6-2/2-6/7-5 Djokovic

In 2023, both Italy and Serbia will advance to the semifinals of the Davis Cup. Sinner and Djokovic faced off for the third time in 10 days. The tennis world is looking forward to another crucial clash between the two top players from their respective countries.

When Serbia led 1-0, Djokovic grabbed three match points at 5-4, 40/0 in the deciding set and almost sent Serbia to the final. However, Sinner defused the crisis with a serve and won three games in a row in the final stages of the match to make it 1-1.

"It was a rollercoaster game," said Sinner, who later partnered Sonego to seal the win for Italy in doubles victories over Djokovic and Kecmanovic, "I started well, he played a lot better than me in the second set, and I tried to serve well in the third set and served well on match points. ”

2023 ATP Finals final, Djokovic 6-3/6-3 Sinner

Djokovic completed a swift revenge in Turin. He bounced back from the shadow of his group stage defeat to Sinner a few days ago to win a record seventh ATP Finals title with a near-perfect performance.

Djokovic gained an early advantage with his precise serve, dropping just two points in the first seven games. The world No. 1 took the initiative in almost every round, giving his all to control the game at his own pace.

But in the second set, amid the roar of the Torino crowd, Sinner created two break points in an attempt to equalise, and tension ensued. Djokovic once again relied on a strong serve to defuse the crisis and then fended off Sinner's last-ditch onslaught to seal a satisfying victory.

"It's great to beat Giannick in the final, he's played really well this week," Djokovic said after tying Roger Federer's record for the year-end finals. ”

2023 ATP Finals group stage, Sinner 7-5/6-7(5)/7-6(2) Djokovic

By the end of 2023, Sinner had become an in-form player on tour, having won 25 of his last 29 matches before competing in that year's ATP Finals. After beating Tsitsipas in their opening group game in Torino, Sinner continued his momentum with his first win over Novak Djokovic.

Amid the roars of the home crowd, Sinner held on to the lead for most of the match, including a 4-2 tiebreaker. But it was a decisive tie-break to divide the winners. Sinner won nine points in a row in the first set and found his best form at crucial moments in the third set to win hard.

Sinner said after the game:

"I think I'm very brave and smart in big moments, especially in the third set, which means a lot to me. When you beat the world number one, 24 Grand Slam titles, it was obviously one of the highlights of my career...... I felt like it was a very tactical game and I managed to win it, so I'm happy. ”

Wimbledon 2023 semifinals, Djokovic 6-3/6-4/7-6(4) Sinner

Djokovic and Sinner have met at Wimbledon year after year.

In the 2023 semi-finals, the two did not repeat the hard-fought five-set battle in 2022, with Djokovic continuing his dominance over his young rival with a strong performance.

In his quest for an eighth Wimbledon title, Djokovic saved all six break points he faced, including two from Sinner in the third set. His grass-court experience was too much for Sinner, who reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time.

'The semi-finals are always a very tight, evenly matched, close in all three sets, the score may not reflect what is really going on on the court, and the game is very close.

After winning 34 straight Wimbledons, Djokovic said the record was later ended by Alcaraz in a thrilling five-set final.

2022 Wimbledon quarterfinals, Djokovic 5-7/2-6/6-3/6-2/6-2 Sinner

In the 2022 Wimbledon quarter-finals, Sinner shocked an opponent who had not lost at Wimbledon since 2017, but it was only his ninth grass court tournament and he was unable to hold on to a two-set lead.

Djokovic was on the verge of an upset after being 2-0 down in the first two sets, and he later attributed the comeback to deep reflection on himself.

Djokovic said of the comeback victory,

"He was better in the first two sets, I went out to refresh, went to the bathroom, pumped myself up in front of the mirror, and that's true. Sometimes these are necessary when things don't go their way. Take a break and reorganize your thoughts. ”

Finally, in an uneventful year in 2022, Djokovic won Wimbledon.

2021 Monte Carlo Masters second round, Djokovic 6-4, 6-2 Sinner

In 2021, Sinner was already making a name for himself ahead of the Monte Carlo Masters. He has already won two ATP 250 titles, reached the quarter-finals of the 2020 French Open, and is one of the most promising young players on the tour. However, Sinner, who came to Monte Carlo after reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Miami, experienced a tough challenge against then-world number one Novak Djokovic for the first time.

Djokovic won the second round comfortably in just 94 minutes at Monte Carlo Country Club, breaking Sinner's serve five times. Sinner, who was ranked 22nd in the ATP rankings at the time, was later asked what he found most difficult when trying to stand against Djokovic, with the then-19-year-old Sinner saying:

'Maybe it's every ball that comes back, I think it's difficult. He moves well, especially on key points. The serve is also very good, and I always make the right decisions on the key points, which I think is the hardest part. ”

From Monte Carlo in 2021 to the Shanghai Masters in 2024, Sinner went from ATP No. 22 to No. 1 in the world; From a 19-year-old junior player to a 23-year-old ATP top.

Djokovic, who won 6 Grand Slam titles in 2021 and 2023, experienced being hit rock bottom in 2022, and a Jedi counterattack in 2023, and doing everything for the Olympic gold medal in 2024 until the age of 38 in 2025......

Tonight, Djokovic and Sinner face off against Roland Garros!

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