Novak Djokovic danced on the baseline after reserving his place into the second spherical of the French Open after a tough fought win in opposition to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Paris.
The third seed, who’s 39 years outdated, struggled early within the match and misplaced the primary set. He seemed out of rhythm as his opponent performed sturdy tennis in entrance of the house crowd.
Djokovic has performed fewer matches this season as he manages his health whereas chasing a report twenty fifth Grand Slam title. His lack of match apply confirmed within the opening units, as he discovered it troublesome to deal with the highly effective serve and aggressive pictures of the 83rd ranked French participant.
Mpetshi Perricard performed confidently and used his large serve and robust forehand to place strain on Djokovic. He even received extra winners within the first a part of the match. Nevertheless, he later picked up a wrist drawback, which affected his efficiency.
After dropping the primary set 5-7, Djokovic got here again strongly. He received the second set 7-5 after saving key break factors. This shifted the momentum in his favor. He then dominated the third set with quick and correct play, successful it in simply 22 minutes.
Within the fourth set, Djokovic stayed centered regardless of just a few errors. He broke serve once more at essential moments and completed the match 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4. After the win, he celebrated with a dance on the baseline and stated it was a troublesome match however he discovered his greatest type on the proper time.
Novak Djokovic dances after successful his opening match at Roland Garros 🕺 pic.twitter.com/FrhjgQoTmr
— TNT Sports activities (@tntsports) May 24, 2026
The victory prolonged Djokovic’s unbeaten report in first spherical matches at Roland Garros to 22. He’ll now face Valentin Royer within the subsequent spherical.
Elsewhere within the event, high 10 seed Taylor Fritz was knocked out in a shock defeat, whereas Alexander Zverev began his marketing campaign with a straight units win.
