Three-time Roland Garros champion Novak Djokovic overpowered world No. 74 Valentin Royer on his fourth match point in a hot Parisian Wednesday afternoon to reach the third round on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
World No. 4 Novak Djokovic dug deep across a three-hour, 44-minute contest to secure a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-3 win over Frenchman Valentin Royer, keeping his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam alive at the French Open.
In his on-court interview, he outlined: "I’m relieved. Obviously, it feels different when you win the match. It’s a very important victory in difficult conditions for both players. It was very hot, and I think Valentin deserves big credit for his performance today."
Further assessing the second rounder, he said: "It was a very tough match, a challenge right from the start. It’s normal that things get tricky on court in these sorts of conditions and atmosphere. I hope I don’t have to play another French player again until the end of the tournament!
"Experience helps a little, actually a lot. In the heat of the moment, you have to give everything you've got and stay focused on every point. But that's easier said than done," he added.
Consistent throughout, the 39-year-old was particularly dominant across the first two sets of the match, where he hit the ball cleanly off both wings. At times, he made it a one-sided affair.
He went through the opening set without facing a break point while making a statement behind his serve, winning 77 percent of the points on his first serve and 80 percent on his second, playing high-level tennis as temperatures continued to soar in Paris.
Picking up where he left off, the third seed broke serve to open proceedings in the second set, backing it up to open a 2-0 advantage.
Producing high-quality shotmaking from the baseline, the Serbian unleashed his forehand, taking the better of his opponent in gruelling rallies.
As a result, halfway into the second set, the Belgrade native led 5-1, a gap he would extend to 6-2 by holding to love.
From there, a new match began to take shape as Djokovic dropped intensity and speed with his service.
There were signs of fatigue on the former world No. 1 side of the net. Saving energy became a constant to survive under the hot sun on the court.
Royer, unbothered by the high temperatures, seized the moment, kicking up a level in his spirited attempt to turn the match around.
Making good use of his experience and abilities, the three-time Roland Garros champion mixed strategies, taking the 24-year-old out of his comfort zone, an effort that led him to a break, moving ahead 3-2 on the scoreboard.
It was just the start of back-to-back break point exchanges as both players struggled to hold their ground.
In the ninth game, the French player stood tall at the net en route to holding his serve, 5-4 up, just a game away from stealing the set.
As both shut the door with authority, the third set headed into a tiebreak after 53 minutes.
The man coached by Julien Gillet went toe-to-toe with the 2026 Australian Open finalist, engaging in lengthy rallies until a backhand error on the former's side saw the young Frenchman closing out 7-6(7) in 71 minutes, forcing a fourth set.
Djokovic was tested through a 10-minute opening game in the fourth set, but surged on top, finding an inflection point by breaking in the fourth game and holding to earn a 4-1 lead.
With his back against the wall, Royer reacted quickly, lighting up the crowd as the battle intensified; however, his efforts were not enough to fend off the resilient 24-time major champion.
On the edge, the Paris Olympics gold medalist committed a double fault when serving for the match on his second match point, a chance Royer missed.
Back at deuce, he executed a backhand winner, but the Neuilly-sur-Seine-born would not go down without a fight in his first appearance at such an iconic tennis court.
Despite rising to the occasion, Djokovic wrapped up the set 6-3 on his fourth match point, through to the third round for the 21st consecutive year at the French Open.
All in all, he fired 46 winners against 38 unforced errors and won 78 percent of his first-serve points.
Next, he will face off against the 28th seed Joao Fonseca; the Brazilian star came back from two sets down to defeat Croatian player Dino Prizmic in five after three hours and 27 minutes.