👋 Welcome back to The Daily Theory, our morning rundown to help you stay on top of your favorite sport. I’m Allen McDuffee, your guide to all things tennis.

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On tap today: Novak Djokovic moves into the semifinals, Iga Swiatek takes on Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff faces Lois Boisson, plus more in tennis news today.

Let’s tennis!

Three Points

🎾 Far from done: Novak Djokovic came into Roland-Garros intending to make a statement after a less-than-stellar 2025 season. He’s now done that by defeating Alexander Zverev on Wednesday to move into the semifinals.

  • What he said: “It’s a proven testament to myself that I can and to others that I can still play on the highest level,” the 38-year-old said. “This is where I kind of lock in and really give my best.” He added: “It’s all about Grand Slams for me, trying to raise the level and play my best tennis at these four tournaments, and this is what I have been managing to do.”
  • And what he said: “He’s still beating the best of the best,” Zverev said after the match. “So I think everybody needs to respect that.” He added: “He’s won 24 of these things. I think, yes, I expected him to be able to play like this...I think it was very, very high level from him.”
  • Next: Djokovic faces Jannik Sinner in the semifinals on Friday.

🎾 Future pledges: The Lawn Tennis Association has promised equal prize money for women at the event at The Queen’s Club and the tournament at Eastbourne by 2029. The women’s event, which returns after a 50-year absence, has a $1.4 million total purse, but it’s half that of the men’s event at $2.9 million.

  • What they said: “We are making significant increases this year to the women’s prize money at Queens and Eastbourne and want to achieve equal prize money as soon as possible,” said Scott Lloyd, the LTA CEO. “The LTA is committed to growing women’s tennis, both at professional and grass-roots level and this move is an important part of that commitment.”
  • Recently: For women on the tour, this promise will sound familiar. Organizers of the Italian Open made an equal prize money pledge that was set to take effect this year. Update: it didn’t happen.

🎾 Missing Mary: Mary Pierce, the last French woman to win Roland-Garros, was set to be honored between the women’s semifinal matches on Thursday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the occasion. But Pierce cannot be there this week “due to personal reasons,” organizers said on Wednesday. Hopefully, it’s not a serious matter.

And, that’s game.

What They Said

Just a love to win, the will to win. It’s not something that’s taught or anything. It’s just I have always had that in me, and not just in tennis but in everything. I’m a very competitive person. My philosophy is if I can just leave it all out there, then the loss will hurt a lot less than regrets of maybe not giving it your all.

-Coco Gauff on digging deep following her win over Madison Keys.

Watch These!

🔥 Iga Swiatek vs. Aryna Sabalenka (Semifinals): This feels like a final, and expect both players to treat it that way. Something clicked with Swiatek between her early exit in Rome and her first round in Paris. And her gutsy three-set win over Rybakina solidified it. Meanwhile, Sabalenka has quietly moved through the draw without dropping a set. If Swiatek can make Sabalenka as uncomfortable as she made Rybakina in sets two and three with balls that jump up and away from Sabalenka’s strike zone, the match is hers. If not, Sabalenka runs away with this one by smacking the hard, flat shots that Swiatek struggles with most.

  • The record: Iga Swiatek leads the head-to-head record over Aryna Sabalenka, 8-4. Their last meeting on clay was in Rome last year. Swiatek won that, 6-2, 6-3.

🔥 Coco Gauff vs. Lois Boisson (Semifinals): Watch this one for the drama of history. Boisson has a chance to do something special by reaching the final for the first time since Mary Pierce in 2000. It’s not a likely scenario for the 22-year-old who came into Roland-Garros ranked outside the top 300, but we’ve been saying that each round. Meanwhile, Gauff is taking down top players without her highest-level tennis. Something says experience wins this one, but it should be a fun battle to witness, no matter what.

  • The record: This will be the first time Coco Gauff and Lois Boisson face each other.

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