In Miami Gardens, Florida, Novak Djokovic is finding his stride in South Florida after a somewhat slow start to the year. Chasing his seventh title at the Miami Open, Djokovic decisively defeated American Sebastian Korda with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (4) in a quarterfinal match that extended 1 hour and 24 minutes. Originally set for Wednesday night, the match was postponed due to an extended women’s quarterfinal match between Jessica Pegula and Emma Raducanu, which pushed the schedule past the permitted time of 11 p.m. under the new ATP rules.
At 37, Djokovic now moves on to the semifinals, ready to face Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, against whom he boasts a 12-1 record. Dimitrov reached the finals in 2024, but Djokovic has his eyes on capturing his 100th professional title.
“I’m feeling an amazing amount of support here,” Djokovic shared. “I genuinely believe I have a solid chance to win it all this time. I’m playing the best I have in a while.”
Despite the crowd at the Hard Rock Stadium cheering for his American opponent, Djokovic turned the tide in the second set, coming back from a 4-1 deficit to clinch the victory in a tiebreaker. Serving an ace on match point, he celebrated with a triumphant yell and played his racket like a violin, highlighting an 83% success rate on his first serves against Korda’s 24th-seed performance.
Asked about the key to his comeback in the second set, Djokovic summed it up in one word—”serve.” He emphasized, “I was serving exceptionally well, truly the best I have in a long time.”
Though Djokovic holds an impressive 24 Grand Slam titles, this year he’s struggled a bit. It all began with an injury withdrawal at the Australian Open in January, followed by an unexpected loss against Botic Van De Zandschulp in the first round at Indian Wells earlier this month.
In women’s action, Saturday’s final will see No. 3 Jessica Pegula taking on top-seed Aryna Sabalenka, a rematch of last year’s U.S. Open final which Sabalenka won. Pegula advanced by overcoming a spirited challenge from 19-year-old newcomer Alexandra Eala from the Philippines in a late-night semifinal. Battling Eala’s precise drop shots and powerful forehand, Pegula emerged victorious in a thrilling contest that stretched past midnight with a 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-3 result.
The match showcased Eala as a rising talent with the Hard Rock Stadium crowd strongly backing her after she previously defeated major champions like Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek. Despite falling behind with a set point to defend in the first set, Pegula fought back, eventually dominating the tiebreaker and gaining control.
Eala, after injuring her ankle in the second set, mounted a fierce comeback, pushing Pegula to the brink before eventually dropping the match. Despite a decline in her service speed—down into the 70s by the second set—Eala showed remarkable tenacity.
On the other side of the draw, Sabalenka didn’t drop a set during her semifinal match, swiftly defeating sixth-seeded Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2 in just 71 minutes.
In men’s quarterfinals, unseeded teenager Jakub Mensik from the Czech Republic triumphed over 17th-seeded Arthur Fils with a score of 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 to advance to his first ATP 1000-level semifinal. Mensik will now face third-seeded American Taylor Fritz, who claimed victory in a lengthy duel against Matteo Berrettini 7-5, 6-7 (9-7), 7-5. Despite squandering several match points in the second set tiebreaker, Fritz held on to reach his first Miami Open finals.
Reflecting on his narrow escape, Fritz said, “Now I can sleep tonight without worrying about the missed chances. In this game, you have two options—one is to regroup, and that’s what I chose.” Living in Miami, Fritz enjoyed the home crowd’s support, adding an extra layer of motivation to his impressive victory.
