At which Grand Slam did Djokovic reach his first major semifinal?

Djokovic reached his first major semifinal at the 2007 French Open. At Roland-Garros, he defeated ninth-seeded Fernando González in the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinal.

The run marked a major step in Djokovic’s rise. He entered the tournament ranked 63rd in the world and had already shown promise, but his French Open performance established him as a genuine Grand Slam contender. It was also his first appearance in a major quarterfinal and semifinal.

Djokovic’s path was especially demanding because the French Open is played on clay, a surface associated with long rallies and Nadal’s dominance. Nadal won their semifinal in straight sets and went on to defeat Roger Federer in the final for his third French Open championship.

This achievement is often confused with Djokovic’s first major final, which came later in 2007 at the US Open. His first Grand Slam title followed in 2008 at the Australian Open, but Paris was where he first reached the last four.