Novak Djokovic, two days after his 39th birthday and on his record 82nd appearance in a Grand Slam singles main draw, came through Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 in three hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday night to open his Roland-Garros campaign – the 22nd in a row of his career, tying Richard Gasquet’s record for most appearances at the tournament.
The Serb had walked on court already in the record books. The 82nd-Slam mark, breaking a tie with Roger Federer and Feliciano López on 81, was guaranteed the moment he stepped out for the night session. He looked, briefly, like a player overwhelmed by the man on the other side of the net rather than the ones in the history book. Mpetshi Perricard, the 6’7″ Frenchman ranked No. 80 and known across the tour for the size of his serve, took the opening set 7-5 and saved nine break points in the second before Djokovic finally converted on his tenth chance, at 6-5, to level the contest.
From there the night turned. The 24-time Grand Slam champion took the third 6-1, broke once more in the fourth, and closed it out on Chatrier in front of a crowd that had spent two sets believing it might watch the upset of the tournament.
In the first set I had zero chance really on his serve.
“It was very challenging, especially mentally, for me to hold my nerves in the important moments,” Djokovic said afterwards. “It didn’t happen in the first set, but after that it was great, because I was able to read his serve a bit more, anticipate better. In the first set I had zero chance really on his serve. It’s one of the most tremendous serves I have ever faced in my career, in terms of precision and speed.”
The win extended his record in Grand Slam first-round matches to 80-2. He has not lost a Slam opener since the 2006 Australian Open. Mpetshi Perricard tested every part of the formula – power, crowd, occasion – and still found himself two sets down after losing the second.
Djokovic arrived in Paris with one clay-court match behind him in 2026, a defeat to Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic in Rome earlier this month, after two months off tour with a right shoulder injury. He has said openly that the preparation has not been what he wanted.
Coming into Roland-Garros with one match on clay is obviously not the ideal strategy.
“It is more challenging for me on this surface,” he said. “Coming into Roland-Garros with one match on clay is obviously not the ideal strategy. It wasn’t part of the plan, but it’s a situation I had to accept, with the circumstances of being injured. It is what it is. I got myself prepared for Paris, and I was always planning to come and try, try my best, try to get as far as I can in the tournament.”
He has reason to. With Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, sitting out the tournament with a right wrist injury, and with Jannik Sinner placed in the opposite half of the draw, the bottom of the bracket has opened up. Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 champion in his final Roland-Garros, are the only former men’s singles winners in the field.
Djokovic will face another Frenchman, Valentin Royer, with the projected third-round clash against the winner of Joao Fonseca-Dino Prizmic – both through earlier in the day – already setting up as the most-watched men’s match of the first week.
Men’s Singles – Sunday, May 24, 2026
• Court Philippe-Chatrier
A.Zverev (2) – B.Bonzi: 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
N.Djokovic (3) – G.Mpetshi Perricard: 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4
• Court Suzanne-Lenglen
K.Khachanov (13) – A.Gea (W): 6-3, 7⁶⁽³⁾-6, 6-0
N.Basavareddy (W) – T.Fritz (7): 7⁽⁵⁾-6, 7⁽⁵⁾-6, 6⁽⁹⁾-7, 6-1
• Court Simonne-Mathieu
J.Mensik (26) – T.Droguet (W): 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
J.Fonseca (28) – L.Pavlovic (Q): 7⁽⁶⁾-6, 6-4, 6-2
• Court 14
A.Davidovich Fokina (21) – D.Dzumhur: 6⁽³⁾-7, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
V.Royer – H.Dellien (Q): 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
• Court 7
Q.Halys – M.Bellucci: 6-3, 7⁽⁴⁾-6, 6-3
• Court 6
M.Trungelliti – K.Jacquet (Q): 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
F.Cina (Q) – R.Opelka: 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6⁽⁶⁾-7, 6-4
• Court 8
M.Kecmanovic – F.Marozsan: 7⁽⁰⁾-6, 6-3, 6-4
A.Blockx – C.Wong (L): 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
• Court 9
D.Prizmic – M.Zheng (Q): 6-1, 6-1, 6-3
H.Medjedovic – Y.Hanfmann: 6-3, 6-4, 6⁽¹⁾-7, 6-4
• Court 12
J.Duckworth – G.Diallo: 6-3, 4-1 (Ab.)
T.Machac – Z.Bergs: 6-4, 6-4, 6-3
• Court 13
TA.Tirante – P.Llamas Ruiz (Q): 6-3, 7⁽⁶⁾-6, 6⁽⁵⁾-7, 6-0
N.Borges – TM.Etcheverry (23): 6-3, 6-4, 6-2