Novak Djokovic kept his quest for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title alive on Wednesday after battling past Frenchman Valentin Royer in four sets to reach the third round of the French Open.
The Serbian star defeated Royer 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3 in a gruelling encounter lasting nearly four hours on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Djokovic, seeded third in the tournament, had earlier survived a difficult opening-round clash against fellow Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and was again tested by the world number 74 before eventually sealing victory.
“I hope I won’t play any more French players for the rest of the tournament,” Djokovic joked after the match.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion remains tied with Margaret Court for the most major singles titles in history and is aiming to surpass the record in Paris.
Djokovic, who earlier this year defeated world number one Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open, cannot meet the Italian star until a potential final showdown at Roland Garros.
Elsewhere in the men’s draw, Czech youngster Jakub Mensik survived a tense five-set battle to defeat Mariano Navone 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (13/11), while Spain’s Rafael Jodar advanced to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time with victory over James Duckworth.
In the women’s competition, second seed Elena Rybakina suffered a shock exit after losing to Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva in three sets.
Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion, lost 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10/4) after failing to maintain her early advantage.
The defeat marked Rybakina’s earliest exit from a major tournament since the 2024 Australian Open.
“I couldn’t find the balance. I couldn’t find the right shot, and it was clearly just too many mistakes,” the Kazakh player admitted after the match.
Starodubtseva described the victory as one of the biggest moments of her career after defeating a top-10 opponent for the first time.
Meanwhile, four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek cruised into the third round with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Czech teenager Sara Bejlek.
Swiatek will next face fellow Pole Magda Linette as she continues her pursuit of another Roland Garros title.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina also progressed comfortably after defeating Spain’s Kaitlin Quevedo 6-0, 6-4.
Svitolina, who recently won the Italian Open title, will face Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch in the next round.
Novak Djokovic kept his quest for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title alive on Wednesday after battling past Frenchman Valentin Royer in four sets to reach the third round of the French Open.
The Serbian star defeated Royer 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3 in a gruelling encounter lasting nearly four hours on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Djokovic, seeded third in the tournament, had earlier survived a difficult opening-round clash against fellow Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and was again tested by the world number 74 before eventually sealing victory.
“I hope I won’t play any more French players for the rest of the tournament,” Djokovic joked after the match.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion remains tied with Margaret Court for the most major singles titles in history and is aiming to surpass the record in Paris.
Djokovic, who earlier this year defeated world number one Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open, cannot meet the Italian star until a potential final showdown at Roland Garros.
Elsewhere in the men’s draw, Czech youngster Jakub Mensik survived a tense five-set battle to defeat Mariano Navone 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (13/11), while Spain’s Rafael Jodar advanced to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time with victory over James Duckworth.
In the women’s competition, second seed Elena Rybakina suffered a shock exit after losing to Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva in three sets.
Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion, lost 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10/4) after failing to maintain her early advantage.
The defeat marked Rybakina’s earliest exit from a major tournament since the 2024 Australian Open.
“I couldn’t find the balance. I couldn’t find the right shot, and it was clearly just too many mistakes,” the Kazakh player admitted after the match.
Starodubtseva described the victory as one of the biggest moments of her career after defeating a top-10 opponent for the first time.
Meanwhile, four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek cruised into the third round with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Czech teenager Sara Bejlek.
Swiatek will next face fellow Pole Magda Linette as she continues her pursuit of another Roland Garros title.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina also progressed comfortably after defeating Spain’s Kaitlin Quevedo 6-0, 6-4.
Svitolina, who recently won the Italian Open title, will face Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch in the next round.
