MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Novak Djokovic is shifting into high gear in South Florida following a slow start to 2025.
In pursuit of his seventh Miami Open title, Djokovic triumphed over American Sebastian Korda with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) on Thursday, completing the quarterfinal match in just one hour and 24 minutes. This encounter had to be postponed from Wednesday night due to the late finish of the women’s quarterfinal between Jessica Pegula and Emma Raducanu, which extended past 11 p.m., violating new ATP regulations against matches starting around midnight.
Advancing to the semifinals on Friday, Djokovic is set to take on Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov. The Serbian superstar boasts an impressive 12-1 record against the 33-year-old Dimitrov, who made it to the tournament finals in 2024.
Having clinched all six of his titles at the tournament’s former venue at Key Biscayne, Djokovic is chasing his elusive 100th professional title.
“Overall, I’ve been playing exceptionally well throughout the week,” Djokovic shared with Tennis Channel following his victory.
With the passionate Hard Rock Stadium crowd rallying behind him, the 37-year-old Serbian made a stunning comeback in the second set, recovering from a 4-1 deficit to clinch victory in a thrilling tiebreaker.
He sealed the match with an ace and achieved an outstanding first-service percentage of 83 against the 24th-seeded Korda. After winning, Djokovic exuberantly celebrated, strumming his racket like a violin in a moment of pure joy.
The men’s all-time leader in Grand Slam titles, with 24 under his belt, Djokovic has faced challenges this year, including an injury that forced him to retire from the Australian Open. Earlier this month, he suffered a surprising first-round defeat during the initial phase of this ‘Sunshine Double’ at Indian Wells.
Korda, the son of Grand Slam champion Petr Korda and a product of the prestigious Bradenton, Florida, tennis academies, previously notched a victory over top-10 opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas in the tournament. He demonstrated exceptional skill to establish a 4-1 lead in the second set before Djokovic reignited his remarkable form.
In the first women’s semifinal, top seed Aryna Sabalenka overpowered sixth-seeded Jasmine Paolini with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory in just 71 minutes, securing her place in her first Miami Open final.
Paolini, a 2024 French Open finalist, couldn’t help but admire Sabalenka’s masterful shot-making, remarking at one point, “What a day.”
Sabalenka, representing Belarus, was highly efficient, converting four of her five break points and firing off 31 winners against just 12 unforced errors.
Though Paolini attempted to stage a comeback in the second set, closing the gap to 4-2 while holding a double-break point at 15-40, Sabalenka responded with a series of three stunning open-court winners and an ace to cement her victory.
Despite Paolini’s impressive run at the Miami Open, she couldn’t keep pace with Sabalenka, who remains unbeaten and has not lost a set thus far.
“I felt very focused, and everything just flowed smoothly,” Sabalenka commented.
Looking ahead, Sabalenka will compete against the winner of the Thursday night semifinal showdown between Jessica Pegula and teen sensation Alexandra Eala from the Philippines.
When asked whether she would watch the match or explore Miami, where she now resides, Sabalenka joked, “I usually go out for dinner, but tennis is my constant companion on TV. Lately, I’ve actually been enjoying watching tennis—how crazy is that? It seems I’m getting older.”
In the day’s earlier men’s quarterfinal, unseeded teenager Jakub Mensik triumphed over 17th-seeded Arthur Fils with a score of 7-6 (7-5), 6-1. This victory marks Mensik’s advancement to the semifinals of an ATP 1000-point event for the first time.
The 19-year-old Mensik hailing from the Czech Republic edged out the tiebreaker before establishing a commanding 4-0 lead in the second set, ultimately eliminating the 20-year-old French competitor. The 54th-ranked Mensik recorded 13 aces and concluded the match with a crosscourt forehand winner in just 75 minutes.
Mensik’s next challenge will be the winner of the quarterfinal clash between Taylor Fritz and Matteo Berrettini, scheduled for Thursday night.
