Novak Djokovic celebrated on the baseline after securing his place in the French Open second round Sunday, but the jubilation came only after a difficult opening two sets that showed just how little match practice the 39-year-old brought to Paris.
According to BBC Sport, Djokovic arrived at Roland Garros having played only 11 singles matches in 2026. His only clay-court match this season was a three-set loss to Dino Prizmic at the Rome Masters. That lack of preparation showed against world number 83 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, a 6-foot-7 Frenchman making his Philippe-Chatrier debut.
Djokovic dropped the first set 5-7 and spent much of the second battling his own frustration. He wasted nine break points in the second set and was visibly irritated after being broken in the 11th game of the opening set. The Serbian was demonstrative in his reactions, arguing with himself and drawing the crowd's attention.
Mpetshi Perricard won 82 percent of points behind his first serve and compiled 38 winners in the first two sets alone, compared to Djokovic's 26. The young Frenchman appeared to be dealing with an injury to his right wrist late in the match, but his serve remained nearly impossible to read throughout.
When Djokovic finally converted his fourth set point to level the match at one set apiece, the momentum shifted sharply. He took the third set in just 22 minutes and closed out the match 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4. It was his 22nd consecutive first-round win at Roland Garros.
In his on-court interview, Djokovic praised his opponent and acknowledged how difficult Mpetshi Perricard's serve was to handle. "Congratulations to Giovanni," Djokovic said in French. "I played him for the first time and it's practically impossible to see where he will serve. It's like something I've seen maybe one or two times in my career, with Reilly Opelka or Ivo Karlovic."
He added that the match required patience above all. "In a match like that, you have to stay focussed and wait for an opportunity. It was a bit difficult, but in the end, I found my best tennis and best return game at the right moment."
Djokovic is pursuing his 25th Grand Slam singles title, which would set a new record. He will next face Valentin Royer in the second round on Wednesday.
