French Open 2026: Djokovic advances to third round after win over Valentin Royer
Paris, May 27
Serbian legend Novak Djokovic is steadily finding his rhythm on the iconic clay of Paris, progressing to the third round of the French Open 2026 on Wednesday.
The Olympic champion, who arrived at Roland-Garros having played only one match on clay this season, now defeated world No. 74 Valentin Royer 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-3.
Djokovic, who is now on a 30-match winning streak against Frenchmen, converted six of nine break points he earned against Royer, according to Infosys Stats.
The 39-year-old was in total control of the pair's first tour-level meeting until a chaotic period featuring four consecutive breaks of serve midway through the third set. Djokovic was a break up at both 3-2 and 4-3, but Royer hit back immediately each time before going on to push the match into a fourth.
The 39-year-old secured his place in the third round and will next face either 28th seed João Fonseca or Dino Prizmic, who had previously upset Djokovic on clay in Italy a few weeks ago.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner appeared in control early, comfortably taking the opening two sets. However, Royer mounted a strong challenge in the third set, edging Djokovic in a tiebreak to extend the match.
Djokovic responded strongly in the fourth set, breaking early to establish a 4-1 advantage before serving out the match, which lasted nearly four hours.
Elsewhere, second seed Alexander Zverev is set to play later on Wednesday against Olympic gold medallist Tomas Machac. However, there was a major upset in the women's draw, as Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina was knocked out after a shock super tiebreak defeat to world No. 55 Yuliia Starodubtseva.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Royer gave a good fight in the third set, but Djokovic's experience is unmatched. That tiebreak was tense! But honestly, I'm worried about that upcoming match against Prizmic – the kid beat him in Italy. Will be a real test for Djokovic's clay form. 🤞
Amazing comeback after a poor start to the clay season. But let's be honest – if he drops sets to world No. 74, it shows he's not at his peak. Prizmic or Fonseca will be dangerous opponents. The 25th Grand Slam title might be tougher than people think.
Tennis fans in India are loving this! 🇮🇳 Djokovic is an inspiration for our young players. His mental strength is unmatched – that 6-3 in the fourth set after losing third set tiebreak shows champion mentality. Also, RIP Rybakina's tournament – big upset in women's draw!
Novak is ageing like fine wine! 🍷 At 39, playing nearly 4 hours and still dominating. But I think he needs to be more careful – that third set lapse could have cost him against a top player. Prizmic has his number recently, so next round will be spicy! 🔥
What a match! The third set was pure drama with those four consecutive breaks. But Novak's ability to reset and dominate the fourth set is why he's the GOAT. 😍 Also, so happy to see Indian tennis fans discussing French Open – we need more tennis coverage in our country!
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