Djokovic Claims French Open First Round

Novak Djokovic began his latest bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title with a commanding win over Mackenzie McDonald.

The former world number one ended his wait for a 100th ATP singles title in Geneva last week and maintained his recent upturn in form with a 6-3 6-3 win over the 98th-ranked American.

Djokovic – who turned 38 last week – has now won all 21 of the first-round matches he has played at Roland Garros.

Sixth seed Djokovic will next play the winner of the all-French match between Corentin Moutet and Clement Tabur.

Djokovic arrived in Geneva without a win on clay in 2025, having suffered first-round exits in both Monte Carlo and Madrid.

But with his wait for a 100th Tour-level title finally over – one which had gone on since he completed the career ‘Golden Slam’ at the Paris Olympics last summer – the Serb will feel he is beginning to gain real momentum on this surface.

The one-sided victory over McDonald, completed two minutes short of the two-hour mark, was his fifth successive win following a run of three straight losses.

After that unfamiliar slump in results, Djokovic took the decision to end his six-month partnership with coach and former rival Andy Murray, who he said joked this week that he was winning tournaments now he had “a proper coach”.

Asked about his last-minute decision to compete in Geneva, Djokovic said: “I think it was a good move, to be honest, because I was struggling a little bit with [my] confidence level, doubting my game a bit.

“It was good that I got four matches under my belt, won a title.

“Coming into Roland Garros, it feels different than compared to the feeling I had three weeks ago.

“Let’s see how far I can go, but I have a good feeling for now.”

Djokovic faces a tough route to the trophy. He is projected to meet third seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals, world number one Jannik Sinner in the last four and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

But it is ultimately that pursuit which continues to drive him on in the twilight of his career, with one last record – surpassing Margaret Court for the outright number of Grand Slam singles title – still left to break.

Djokovic lost serve just once in his first match on Court Philippe Chatrier since his Olympic triumph, hitting 32 winners compared to just 20 unforced errors.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Germany’s Zverev beat American Learner Tien 6-3 6-3 6-4, and Britain’s world number five Jack Draper came back to win 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-2 against Italy’s Mattia Bellucci.

Britain’s Cameron Norrie could face Djokovic in the fourth round after stunning Russian 11th seed Daniil Medvedev 7-5 6-3 4-6 1-6 7-5.

Australian ninth seed Alex De Minaur was another winner, beating Serb Laslo Djere 6-3 6-4 7-6 (8-6).

Russian 17th seed Andrey Rublev won 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-1 against South Africa’s Lloyd Harris, while Czech 19th seed Jakub Mensik, who beat Djokovic in the Miami Open final in March, beat Frenchman Alexandre Muller 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3.

Bbc.com