While watching the Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner 2025 Roland Garros semifinal on TNT I noticed a familiar face in the front row photo pit on Court Philippe Chatrier Stadium – it was my friend the Canadian photographer Peter Figura.
In pro sports, the front row perspective is always a lot more revealing than from say row 25 or the upper deck or the TV vantage points. So I asked Peter if he had any interesting observations.
His reply: “I think Novak realizes that he is now 3 in the world with a very small chance to ever beat Jannik or Carlos. Particularly that they will play only the most important tournaments, and in the later stages of them. In Paris I thought that after losing the first two sets, Novak will do everything not to lose in three straight sets, but he had no chance. This might also be his last Roland Garros, because I think he would rather retire than come to the Slam event knowing he had no chance to be in the finals. In my opinion this is why he focuses on the Olympics now.”
“Sitting in a front row I could see – this is my opinion only – that Novak started realizing that he had no chance, and that this will continue in the future. Last year I was watching a match where Novak beat Musetti in five sets – they finished at 3 am – but you could see that he believed in himself all the way, even being down. This year it was completely different.”
Sinner proceeded after eliminating Djokovic to win the first two sets of the final vs Carlos Alcaraz, only to ultimately lose in five sets to the Spanish dynamo.
Djokovic has arrived a week early to Wimbledon to prepare on grass, a surface he stands a much better chance to derail the Sinner Express and perhaps win his 25th Grand Slam title.
Figura is the co-author of the 2018 book: The Future Of Tennis: A Photographic Celebration Of The Men’s Tour.
Roland Garros artwork by Joel Blanc.
Carlos Alcaraz · Jannik Sinner · Novak Djokovic · Peter Figura · Roland Garros
