Novak Djokovic danced on the baseline after booking his place into the second round of the French Open after a hard fought win against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Paris.
The third seed, who is 39 years old, struggled early in the match and lost the first set. He looked out of rhythm as his opponent played strong tennis in front of the home crowd.
Djokovic has played fewer matches this season as he manages his fitness while chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title. His lack of match practice showed in the opening sets, as he found it difficult to handle the powerful serve and aggressive shots of the 83rd ranked French player.
Mpetshi Perricard played confidently and used his big serve and strong forehand to put pressure on Djokovic. He even won more winners in the first part of the match. However, he later picked up a wrist problem, which affected his performance.
After losing the first set 5-7, Djokovic came back strongly. He won the second set 7-5 after saving key break points. This shifted the momentum in his favor. He then dominated the third set with fast and accurate play, winning it in just 22 minutes.
In the fourth set, Djokovic stayed focused despite a few mistakes. He broke serve again at important moments and finished the match 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4. After the win, he celebrated with a dance on the baseline and said it was a difficult match but he found his best form at the right time.
Novak Djokovic dances after winning his opening match at Roland Garros 🕺 pic.twitter.com/FrhjgQoTmr
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) May 24, 2026
The victory extended Djokovic’s unbeaten record in first round matches at Roland Garros to 22. He will now face Valentin Royer in the next round.
Elsewhere in the tournament, top10 seed Taylor Fritz was knocked out in a surprise defeat, while Alexander Zverev started his campaign with a straight sets win.
