For at least a few fleeting moments, it appeared that something significant might be unfolding on Tuesday beneath the Court Philippe-Chatrier roof. Rafael Jódar had started his first Grand Slam quarter-final desperate to make his mark and he spent the first 40 minutes eviscerating the ball off both sides, lasering groundstrokes that struck seemingly every line. He built a 5-2 lead over the second seed Alexander Zverev, a game away from starting with a statement in the biggest match of his career.Normalcy resumed quickly. Jódar’s attempts to serve out the set ended in a break to love for Zverev, who quickly took control and refused to relinquish his position until the end of the match. Zverev offered Jódar minimal breathing room for the rest of the match, serving extremely well and striking his forehand freely. In the process, the German took another step towards winning an elusive first Grand Slam title as he returned to the semi-finals of the French Open with a 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-3 win.The past 10 days in Paris have been unlike any in the recent history of men’s tennis, with so many of the top players suffering early upsets. As the dust has begun to settle on the early defeats for Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, the central question surrounding the men’s draw in the final rounds is simple: can anyone beat Zverev?After being repeatedly blocked by the likes of Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic and others, the door is clearly wide open for Zverev. Beyond him, the world No 6, Félix Auger-Aliassime, is the only remaining top-10 player. There are still some shooters left in the draw, quality players with big enough weapons to take him out, but while Zverev has navigated his section with few problems, reaching the semi-finals without facing a player ranked inside the top 25, the rest of the field has been in a frantic rush to take advantage of an opportunity that may never come again. So many players have already worn themselves out in multiple five-set matches as they have battled to get through.Rafael Jódar of Spain serves against Alexander Zverev of Germany during their quarter-final match. Photograph: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Jódar was a perfect example of this. Seeded 27th, he has been one of the revelations of this clay-court season. He entered the match leading the ATP with clay-court wins this year, compiling a 19-3 record, with quarter-finals in Madrid and Rome before his maiden Grand Slam run here. But he navigated consecutive five-set matches for the first time in his career to reach the quarter-finals. After squandering his opportunity in the opening set, he quickly ran out of steam.A Grand Slam title would be quite a logical progression for Zverev’s career. The 29-year-old is one of the most successful players to never win one, a 24-time ATP title winner who has won the end-of-year ATP Finals twice and an Olympic gold medal, plus seven ATP Masters 1000 titles overall. This is his 11th Grand Slam semi-final and he has advanced to the final on three occasions. However, his performances in some of those finals exposed his lack of courage and toughness in the most important moments against the best players in the world.One of the most notable aspects of Zverev’s pursuit of his elusive major title, though, is the dread it generates for plenty of tennis fans. Zverev has been accused of domestic violence by two of his former partners, Olya Sharypova and Brenda Patea, which he has repeatedly denied. The conflict between Patea and Zverev, who share a daughter, ended up in a Berlin courtroom, with the court proceedings starting at the beginning of the French Open in 2024. By the end of the tournament, the two parties agreed to settle out of court. Zverev eventually reached the final in Paris, losing to Alcaraz.Plenty of fans who feel strongly about domestic violence are unsettled by the prospect of him winning a major title, and his defeats at Grand Slam tournaments are often received with relief. This was illustrated in the trophy ceremony immediately after Zverev’s loss to Sinner in last year’s Australian Open final, when his speech was interrupted three times by audience members shouting: “Australia believes Olya and Brenda.” – Guardian