Novak Djokovic wasn’t happy with the crowd during his second-round win over Valentin Royer at Roland Garros.
Supporting one of their own, the French crowd overstepped the mark at times.
Djokovic called out their lack of respect, but later praised the atmosphere they produced on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Give us your one wild prediction for Roland Garros!
During TNT Sports’ post-match coverage, former world number one Caroline Wozniacki shared her thoughts on what happened between Djokovic and the crowd.
Caroline Wozniacki believes Novak Djokovic was ‘agitated’ by the crowd and wasn’t feeding off it
“I think he went through a stage last year, where he kind of wanted the crowd against him, and that’s what he was feeding off,” said Wozniacki.
“I don’t think that was the case tonight.
“I think he truly just got agitated at the fact that the crowd got louder and louder.
“When he missed that match point, I think he got so mad at the situation, that he had to be out here in the heat for another 45 minutes or more.”
Djokovic squandered match points against Royer, as he was forced to play an extra set on a hot day in Paris.
Wozniacki knows that the extra set could cost Djokovic come the end of the tournament.
“Novak is going to leave the court and be a little upset that he spent unnecessary energy,” she said.
“For him to have a chance to win a Grand Slam here, you have to save your energy for the later rounds.
“He’s well aware of that as well.”
Many have named Djokovic as the player most likely to stop Jannik Sinner from winning Roland Garros.
Which player is most likely to stop Jannik Sinner from winning the French Open? 🤔
The Italian is unbeaten on clay this year, winning titles in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome, and hasn’t lost a tour-level match since February, at the Qatar Open.
Djokovic has more experience than Sinner, but at 39, he can’t afford to play too many long matches, especially in the first week.
If Djokovic is to beat Sinner in the 2026 French Open final, he will need to be fresh, and dropping a set in his two opening matches against lower-ranked opponents isn’t a good start…
However, it is worth mentioning just how well Royer played against Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic vs Valentin Royer – Match stats
| Stats | Novak Djokovic | Valentin Royer |
| Aces | 10 | 10 |
| Double faults | 9 | 4 |
| 1st Serve % | 66% | 63% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 78% | 67% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 58% | 57% |
| Break points | 6/9 | 2/7 |
The 24-year-old played much better than his ranking (74th) would suggest, and left an impression on the French crowd and Wozniacki.
“This guy Royer, this was the first time I watched him play, he started playing better and better, he really gave it to Novak,” said Wozniacki.
Djokovic was pushed close by Royer and must now recover ahead of his third-round match against Joao Fonseca.
Alex Corretja says if he thinks Novak Djokovic will be fit to play Joao Fonseca
Also working for TNT Sports, former French Open finalist Alex Corretja was asked if he thinks Djokovic can recover in time for the third round.
“I think he’s going to be ok,” said Corretja.
“If he keeps going like this for four, five matches, maybe at the end you run out of gas, like last year.
“But I think in this case, in this situation, I think Novak likes where he is, because he hasn’t played matches, so he needs a little bit of rhythm.
Novak Djokovic’s last five matches
| Match | Opponent | Result | Score | — Days ago |
| 2026 French Open 2R | Valentin Royer | WIN | 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 | 1 |
| 2026 French Open 1R | Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard | WIN | 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 | 4 |
| 2026 Italian Open 2R | Dino Prizmic | LOSS | 6-2, 2-6, 4-6 | 20 |
| 2026 Indian Wells 4R | Jack Draper | LOSS | 6-4, 4-6, 6-7 | 77 |
| 2026 Indian Wells 3R | Aleksandar Kovacevic | WIN | 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 | 80 |
“It would have been maybe better for him to end it in three sets, of course, but once you get through this match, your confidence builds up a little bit or a lot.
“He’s got the knowledge more than anyone, I’m not too worried.
“It’s still early in the day; it’s not like one o’clock in the morning, where you are going to sleep late.
“So he might have time tomorrow, and we will see what happens on Friday. I think it’s going to be ok.”
Djokovic will likely need to up his level if he is to beat Fonseca and book his place in the last 16.
They will play their third-round match on Friday, May 29.
