Alexander Zverev teed up an intriguing French Open quarter-final clash with Rafael Jodar by defeating Jesper De Jong in straight sets in the round of 16.

Zverev, who is among the favourites to clinch the crown at Roland-Garros following shock defeats for Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic in round three, was made to work hard in the opening two sets but eventually pulled clear to win 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 6-1.

De Jong struck first on Court Philippe-Chatrier as he looked to cause another shock, breaking at the first opportunity as he went 3-0 up in the opener.

But Zverev recovered that break to love in game five, and when a tie-break was required, the German went 3-0 down but then won seven points in succession, helped by an ill-timed double fault from De Jong at 5-3. 

The second set was also tight, though Zverev gave up very little on his serve and applied consistent pressure to that of De Jong, finally getting the decisive break in game 10.

The third was far more straightforward, with De Jong struggling to cope with Zverev's big-serving ability and power from the baseline as the second seed sealed the deal.

Zverev  his 8th Roland Garros QF #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/HLgklk2MSn

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 31, 2026

Zverev will face breakout star Jodar for a semi-final spot, after the Spanish teenager rallied from two sets down for a thrilling 4-6 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 triumph over compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta. 

Carreno Busta needed a medical timeout to receive treatment on his shoulder after Jodar kept the contest alive by winning the third set, and the 19-year-old maintained his intensity after play restarted, earning a Tour-leading 19th win on clay this year.

"It's difficult because he has a great backhand," Jodar said after his three-hour, 41-minute victory. "When we're playing cross with the backhand, it's difficult to change because he plays deep in the court. 

"I tried not to rush the shots and not make a lot of unforced errors. I think that was the key in the first two sets, so I tried to change that."

Data Debrief: Zverev's best chance?

Zverev has now reached the quarter-finals at six successive editions of the French Open (2021-2026), becoming just the fourth player since 1990 to achieve that feat, after Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

He is yet to win a grand slam title, but this seems as though it could be his best chance yet.

Meanwhile, his next opponent, Jodar, is into his very first grand slam quarter-final.

At the age of 19 years and 249 days, he became the fourth-youngest man to come from two sets down to win a match in the second week of Roland-Garros, after Michael Chang in 1989 (17 years, 97 days), Bjorn Borg in 1974 (17 days, 362 days) and Harold Soloman in 1972 (19 years, 249 days).