We have reached the final weekend of the 2025 Australian Open. The tournament up until this point has been terrific; do not expect it to let up. Ten-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic edged past Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals and is playing with incredible confidence as he hunts his record 25th Grand Slam title. In his way is No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev, looking to etch his name into tennis history with his first Slam title.
As always, we at LWOT have a roundtable preview and prediction for this terrific semifinal battle. Offering their thoughts on the match are Yesh Ginsburg, Ateet Shrivastava, Steen Kirby, and Shane Black. But who will advance to the final?
Australian Open Men’s Semifinal Predictions
Novak Djokovic vs Alexander Zverev
Yesh
Alcaraz looked a tiny bit off against Djokovic, but much of that was how locked-in the Serbian was. Djokovic matches up very well against Zverev, as no one is better at taking away the German’s serve. Zverev is still formidable from the baseline, but once the serve is neutralized Djokovic should have too many advantages.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Ateet
Djokovic played one of his best matches in recent times to take out Carlos Alcaraz in four sets. Djokovic was hampered with his movement, but it made him play more aggressively and worked big time. However, his fitness will be in doubt against Zverev, who will look to make this match physical. Zverev lost in the semifinals here last time and has never beaten Djokovic in a Slam. The Serb has the mental advantage in this matchup,p but the result will also depend on his fitness and Zverev’s level. I am backing the Serb, but not with much confidence.
Prediction: Djokovic in 5
Steen
A head-to-head record of eight wins for Djokovic vs four for Zverev implies this is at least a competitive matchup, especially at this late stage in Djokovic’s career. Djokovic dug deep to upset Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round, he’s full of positive energy right now but also prone to fatigue. Zverev has slipped up a couple of times against seeded opponents in the last two rounds, but this has not been a stressful tournament for him, he’s in his second AO slam semifinal, and bidding for his third Grand Slam final, Djokovic’s records of achievement make him the greatest of all time, but in this moment I’m not sure he can double down on the magic.
Prediction: Zverev in 5
Shane
Djokovic and Zverev were tested in their respective quarterfinal matches but will have to quickly regroup ahead of a heavyweight semifinal battle. It is hard to bet against Djokovic in Melbourne, but I see a path for the German. If Zverev can serve well and put pressure on the Serb’s injured leg, he has a chance to reach his first Australian Open final. The first two sets will be massive for Djokovic, who will have a tough time outlasting Zverev in a four+ hour match. I like the German to pull off the mini-upset here.
Prediction: Zverev in 5
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – Imagn Images
