Paris, May 28: Three-time champion and former world number one Novak Djokovic has secured his place in the third round of the 2026 French Open men’s singles. Djokovic triumphed over France’s Valentin Royer in a challenging match.
The third-seeded Djokovic delivered an impressive performance, winning with scores of 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(9), 6-3. The Serbian player faced a match point at 6/5 during the tiebreak of the third set but quickly bounced back to defeat Royer in a match that lasted three hours and 28 minutes.
Having won a record 24 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic entered the French Open after playing only one match on clay this year. He had been sidelined for over six weeks due to an injury sustained during the Indian Wells Open in March. In his first two matches at the French Open, he faced tough competition from French players. On Sunday, he defeated Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a four-set battle. Then, on Wednesday, he overcame Royer in sweltering conditions at Court Philippe-Chatrier, improving his season record to 9 wins and 3 losses.
According to Infosys Stats, Djokovic achieved his 30th consecutive victory against French players. He capitalized on 6 out of 9 break points against Royer. The 39-year-old maintained control throughout the match, although the third set became thrilling with four consecutive service breaks. Djokovic led 3-2 and 4-3 but Royer managed to fight back, pushing the match to a fourth set.
Royer, ranked 74th in the PIF ATP rankings, appeared to struggle in the fourth set. Djokovic decisively broke serve in the fourth game, marking his 21st appearance in the third round of the French Open. The former world number one will face either Brazil’s 28th seed Fonseca or Croatia’s Prizmic in the next round. Djokovic has never faced Fonseca, while the 20-year-old Prizmic recently defeated him earlier this month in Rome.
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