Novak Djokovic defeated Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4, in the first round of the French Open.
The big serving Frenchman threatened to cause an upset on Court Philippe Chatrier, taking the opening set against the three-time champion.
Unfortunately for Mpetshi Perricard, he couldn’t maintain the advantage, as Djokovic fought back to win in four sets.
Do you feel more or less confident that Novak Djokovic can win Roland Garros after that performance?
Mpetshi Perricard’s coach, Greg Rusedski, has now shared what he noticed about Djokovic during the warm-up.
Greg Rusedski noticed Novak Djokovic ‘having shoulder issues’ before his first-round match
During the latest episode of ‘Off Court Cuts‘, Rusedski delivered his verdict on Djokovic’s win over Mpetshi Perricard.
“I was watching his warm-up,” said Rusedski.
“He was having a few shoulder issues, and there was the physio giving him a massage and trying to sort it out.
“He was not hitting it so big in the beginning with his serve, but the accuracy was quite exceptional.
“The movement looked good by the end. In the beginning, it is one of those tricky matches for Novak [Djokovic] because he is not getting a rhythm, and you don’t want to give him a rhythm as much as possible.
“But by the third or fourth set, he really raised his game.”
Novak Djokovic vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard – Match stats
| Stats | Novak Djokovic | Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard |
| Aces | 12 | 16 |
| Double faults | 2 | 4 |
| 1st Serve % | 78% | 76% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 81% | 68% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 77% | 2% |
| Break points | 5/16 | 2/5 |
Rusedski continued, commenting on Djokovic’s draw in Paris.
“He has another match coming up against a Frenchman who is not that well known for the public, but from the third round on, it gets pretty tough, it’s either [Joao] Fonseca or [Dino] Prizmic,” he said.
“Novak is a funny sort of player, where he can build into a Slam and find his best tennis.
“You would expect him to get through his second round, and then he is going to have another big test in the third round.”
Djokovic will play Valentin Royer in the second round of Roland Garros.
Royer, the world number 74, has never reached the third round of a Grand Slam, and is 0-3 against top-10 players.
Valentin Royer’s record vs top-10 players (0-3)
- [LOSS] vs (3) Alexander Zverev – 2025 Shanghai Masters
- [LOSS] vs (9) Taylor Fritz – 2026 Australian Open
- [LOSS] vs (1) Carlos Alcaraz – 2026 Qatar Open
Assuming Djokovic’s shoulder is fine, the Serb should make his way through to the third round without much trouble.
However, as Rusedski rightly pointed out, it’s there that things get tricky.
If Djokovic reaches the third round, he will play either Joao Fonseca or Dino Prizmic.
Fonseca is one of the most exciting prospects in men’s tennis, impressing against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner earlier this year.
And Prizmic beat Djokovic earlier this month at the Italian Open.
Djokovic will need to be on it from the word go if he is to book his place in the fourth round.
Looking further ahead, Djokovic could play the likes of Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur, Alexander Zverev, and Jannik Sinner.
If he is going to win his 25th Grand Slam, he’s going to have to do it the hard way!
What happened the one time Novak Djokovic lost in the second round of the French Open?
Djokovic is expected to make light work of his second-round opponent, Royer.
The Serb hasn’t lost a second-round match at the French Open since 2005, the year he made his debut via qualifying.
21 years ago, Djokovic won his first-ever Grand Slam match, against America’s Robert Ginepri, 6-0, 6-0, 6-3.
Reaching the second round, Djokovic played Argentina’s Guillermo Coria, the eighth seed, and 2004 French Open runner-up.
Few expected the young Serb to win, but he impressed early doors, winning the first set 6-4.
Coria bounced back, taking the second 6-2, before charging into a 3-2 lead in the third set.
Djokovic then retired from the match, sending Coria through to round three.
Fans of the 24-time Grand Slam champion will hope history doesn’t repeat itself this year…
