The torch has been passed in tennis, but Novak Djokovic is still doing a fine job of representing the previous generation.

Djokovic is playing less these days, but he’s still getting up for the big tournaments.

Djokovic made it to the semifinals at the Australian Open and is now into the final four at Roland Garros, where he’ll meet Jannik Sinner.

Sinner is a -480 favorite over Djokovic in Friday afternoon’s semifinal.

All concerns about Djokovic’s form and fitness were put to bed pretty quickly at Roland Garros.

The 24-time grand slam champion didn’t drop a set until his quarterfinal victory over No. 3 Alexander Zverev, and he’s barely had to break a sweat to this point. 

Getting to the semifinals is one thing, but the fact that Djokovic, 38, was able to get to this part of the tournament without putting too many miles on his legs is a massive boost to his chances.

The problem is that Sinner will be even fresher.

The Italian was handed a three-month ban due to testing positive for a banned substance between February and May, meaning he essentially had an offseason between the Australian and French Opens.

Sinner hasn’t been impacted by the rust, as he made it to the finals of the Rome Masters in his return to action. He has yet to drop a set at Roland Garros.

Sinner, who is 17-1 in 2025, is the overwhelming favorite, but don’t write off Djokovic in this battle.

Not only is Djokovic in terrific form at the moment, but he will have his legs with him on Friday.

Had the Serb had to dig deep to get to this point, I’d be weary of his chances, but he’ll be as fresh as he could have hoped, considering where we’re at in this tournament.

This could be a classic, and Djokovic winning in five sets feels like a real possibility.

THE PLAY: Djokovic to win 3-2 (+1000, FanDuel)

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.