Novak Djokovic eyes record 23rd Grand Slam title, defeats Carlos Alcaraz in French Open semi-final 

Novak Djokovic (Source: Twitter)

Novak Djokovic is one step away from winning his record 23rd Grand Slam men's singles title after defeating World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the French Open at the Philippe-Chatrier Court (Paris) on Friday. This was the duo's first Grand Slam meeting, second overall, and the Serbian sealed a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 win to advance to his seventh Roland-Garros final.

Djokovic showed his intent right from the start and won the first set 6-3. Alcaraz fought back to win the second set 7-5 but fell in the next set as he suffered cramps, and the World No. 3 cruised to a 6-1 victory. The 36-year-old then registered a 6-1 victory in the fourth set to equal his head-to-head record against Alcaraz at 1-1.

Two-time French Open winner Djokovic is eyeing a history of becoming the player with the most Grand Slam titles (23). He currently has 22 championships, which ties him with Spanish legend Rafael Nadal. Djokovic will face Casper Ruud in the final on Sunday, and a victory will let him get past Alcaraz to reclaim the No. 1 ranking. The Serb can also secure a pole position in the ATP rankings if he defeats Ruud, who upset Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the second semi.

He’s an unbelievable player, an incredible competitor: Djokovic on Alcaraz

Speaking after the three-hour, 23-minute match, Djokovic said it was "tough luck" for Alcaraz and praised the Spaniard, saying "he's an unbelievable player".

“First and foremost I have to say tough luck for Carlos. Obviously, at this level, the last thing you want is cramp and physical problems at the late stages of a Grand Slam. So I feel for him, I feel sorry. I hope he can recover and he can come back very soon," said Djokovic in his on-court interview.

"I told him at the net. He knows how young he is. He’s got plenty of time ahead of him, so he’s going to win this tournament I’m sure many many times. He’s an unbelievable player, an incredible competitor and a very nice guy, so he deserves all the applause and all the support," he added.