Novak Djokovic cleared a tricky first hurdle at the 2026 French Open.
Drawn against one of the game’s most fearsome servers, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Djokovic was able to pull himself together after dropping the first set en route to a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 victory on Sunday. Crucially, the 39-year-old was able to get off the court in under three hours.
The extra day of rest won’t hurt the Serb’s chances as he takes on World No. 74 Valentin Royer in the Round of 64 on Wednesday.
Even at his advanced age, Djokovic remains a marvel. He’s playing a light schedule that’s built to keep him fresh for the Grand Slams, and it seems to be working. The Serb has made it to at least the semifinals in 11 of the last 13 majors, and he is just a few months removed from a runner-up finish at the Australian Open.
The last time that Djokovic lost before the quarterfinals at Roland Garros was in 2009.
None of this is good news for Royer, who comes into Wednesday’s match off his first-ever win at the French Open and his third at a Grand Slam. The Frenchman will be swimming upstream in this contest, and the odds bear that out. Djokovic is a -950 favorite for this best-of-5 contest.
And unlike Mpetshi Perricard, who had a fighting chance thanks to Djokovic being rusty, Royer will catch the 24-time Grand Slam champion after he’s already put a win under his belt. It’s no coincidence that Djokovic got much better as his first-round match went on. He was dominant in the third and fourth set, winning them in just over an hour combined.
Although his win over Hugo Dellien in Round 1 could boost his confidence, Royer also checks into the second round in wonky form. He made a run to the final at the Oerias Challenger event, but he dropped four of his matches between then and his win over Dellien.
This is setting up for a rout in Djokovic’s favor.
The Play: Under 30.5 games (+134, FanDuel)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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