The French Open men’s quarterfinals are set and everybody is itching to see which way this exciting tournament will go next. Whilst we’re waiting to find out what happens, we’ve put together four interesting milestones that have happened as a result of these players getting through.
Four Milestones for the French Open Men’s Quarterfinalists
Novak Djokovic: 15 Successive Quarterfinals at one Slam and most men’s Grand Slam wins
Novak Djokovic continues to defy logic, extending another record past the point of belief. By defeating Francisco Cerundolo from the brink of defeat, he extends his record of most consecutive quarterfinals at one Grand Slam to an absolutely jaw-dropping 15 in a row. Jimmy Connors is in second place with 12 at the US Open and even Nadal, the King of Clay, only made six consecutive quarterfinals here in Paris.
On top of that, Djokovic has also broken a tie with Roger Federer for the most men’s Grand Slam wins of all time at 370 wins. Truly mind-boggling stuff from the Serb.
Casper Ruud: Third consecutive quarterfinal at the French Open
In true understated fashion, Casper Ruud’s third consecutive quarterfinal at the French Open might not sound like that big a deal. When put into context, however, it puts him truly amongst the best of his peers. No player under the age of 30 (other than Zverev) has made more than three consecutive quarterfinals at one Slam–Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, and Jannik Sinner among them.
If Ruud can continue this kind of consistency at his favorite Slam, he might be able to set himself apart in this regard in 2025.
Grigor Dimitrov: Completes Grand Slam in Quarterfinals
The renaissance of Grigor Dimitrov continues, and, with it, the Bulgarian is breaking new ground. A long slew of average results came at the French Open for him but, by defeating Hubert Hurkacz, he finally made his first quarterfinal in the French capital. This means he has now made all four Grand Slam quarterfinals, an impressive feat that takes a very versatile player.
Dimitrov joins Alcaraz, Zverev, Djokovic, Sinner, and Karen Khachanov as the only players in the current Top 20 to achieve this.
Alex de Minaur – First Australian player to reach French Open quarterfinals since Lleyton Hewitt
By defeating Daniil Medvedev in four sets, Alex de Minaur reached his second Grand Slam quarterfinal and his first at the French Open. It goes against everything de Minaur expected of himself, having won just three matches in Paris previous to this year.
It makes de Minaur the first Australian player to reach the quarterfinals here since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004, a span of 20 years.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports