Serbian great Novak Djokovic survived a spirited opening-round challenge from French wildcard Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to secure a hard-fought four-set victory at the French Open on Sunday night, continuing his pursuit of a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion recovered from a set down to defeat the powerful Frenchman 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 in two hours and 51 minutes and book his place in the second round at Roland Garros. In doing so, Djokovic also set another milestone, making his 82nd men’s singles main-draw appearance at Grand Slam level, surpassing the previous record of 81 held by Swiss legend Roger Federer.
The Serbian star improved his remarkable first-round Grand Slam record to 80 wins and just two defeats, with his last opening-round loss at a major dating back to the 2006 Australian Open. However, the contest was far from straightforward against the towering 24-year-old Frenchman, whose booming serve repeatedly troubled Djokovic during the opening exchanges.
Backed loudly by the home crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier, Giovanni displayed fearless tennis and edged the opening set after capitalising on a handful of uncharacteristic errors from Djokovic. The Frenchman continued to frustrate the former world number one in the second set, saving nine break points before Djokovic finally converted his 10th opportunity to level the match at one set apiece.
“In the first set, zero chance really on his serve,” Djokovic said afterwards, praising his opponent’s delivery. “He has one of the most tremendous serves in terms of precision and speed that I have ever faced in my career.”
Once Djokovic secured the crucial break in the second set, the momentum shifted decisively. The three-time French Open champion began reading Giovanni’s serve more effectively, extended the rallies and forced the inexperienced Frenchman into errors. Djokovic dominated the third set and maintained control in the fourth to seal his 102nd career win at Roland Garros.
The Serbian admitted that his preparation for the clay-court major had been less than ideal after an injury-disrupted build-up. “This is not the ideal strategy of coming into Roland Garros with one match on clay,” Djokovic said. “That was not part of the plan. But it was a situation that I had to accept with the circumstances of being injured. It is what it is. I got myself prepared for Paris, and I was always planning to come and try my best.”
This year marks Djokovic’s 22nd consecutive appearance at the French Open, underlining his extraordinary longevity at the highest level of the sport. Despite questions surrounding his form and fitness ahead of the tournament, the Serbian once again demonstrated his resilience and big-match temperament under pressure.
Djokovic will next face fellow Frenchman Valentin Royer in the second round after Royer defeated Bolivian Hugo Dellien 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and 58 minutes.