Paris, May 25 (H.S.): Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic made a commanding start to his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title by defeating France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of the French Open 2026 late on Sunday night.

With this appearance, Djokovic became the player with the highest number of men’s singles Grand Slam match appearances, surpassing the record previously held by Roger Federer with his 82nd appearance. However, in the match played at Roland Garros, Djokovic initially struggled to find his best rhythm.

Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard displayed remarkable form in the opening set, taking a 6-5 lead before clinching the set with a powerful ace. In doing so, he became the first player in 17 years to take a set off Djokovic in the opening round of the French Open.

Speaking after the match, Djokovic said:

“Congratulations to Giovanni. It was my first time playing against him, and reading his serve was extremely difficult. In my career, I have seen very few players with such a serve.”

Third-seeded Djokovic bounced back strongly in the second set, capitalising on crucial moments to level the match. The experienced Serbian then shifted gears with an aggressive display and comfortably claimed the third set.

In the fourth set, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard required medical treatment due to discomfort in his wrist and hand. Although he continued to battle hard, Djokovic seized control of the contest after taking a 4-3 lead and went on to register his 22nd consecutive first-round victory at the French Open.

Following the win, Djokovic acknowledged the crowd and said:

“The atmosphere here was fantastic. I received tremendous energy from the spectators.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar