Novak Djokovic has advanced to the third round of the 2026 French Open but not without being pushed to the limit in his brutal second-round battle with home hope Valentin Royer. Following his hard-fought victory, the 24-time Grand Slam champion dismissed a reporter’s perspective on the length of his matches, while candidly taking responsibility for his mistakes against Royer.
Novak Djokovic Blames Himself for Dragging Out ‘Exhausting’ French Open Battle
Djokovic kicked off his French Open campaign by recovering from a set down to defeat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4. The Serb appeared on track to notch a more straightforward victory against Royer, having clinched the opening sets and being a break up in the third. However, the Frenchman mounted a stellar comeback, forcing a tiebreak in the third set and fending off a match point to push the clash to a fourth set.
Despite the setback, the world No. 4 regained control and went on to secure a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-3 win after a three-hour, 28-minute battle.
During his post-match press conference, Djokovic was asked about his physical condition after what a reporter described as “reasonably long” matches at the clay-court Major. However, the 39-year-old dismissed that label, highlighting the exhausting reality of playing such lengthy matches, while acknowledging that he only had himself to blame for not wrapping up the match in three sets.
“I don’t know if I’m liking or agreeing with your comment, like ‘reasonably long.’ When you play a 3 and a half hour match on clay, it’s long and very exhausting. At least in my opinion. So yeah, physically spent quite a bit of energy on a very hot day. Very challenging conditions. It was obviously my fault I didn’t finish in straight sets. I was a break up twice in the third. Match point. Just too passive in those points,” Novak Djokovic said.
MORE: ‘They Have No Respect’ — Novak Djokovic Involved in Dramatic French Open Duel With Local Hope
The 24-time Grand Slam champion went on to credit Royer for capitalizing on his errors in the difficult contest, describing the Frenchman as a “fighter.”
“He took his chances and got the crowd support he was looking for. Momentum shifted but I managed to kind of regroup in the fourth. It was very challenging. The scoreline maybe doesn’t do it justice. It was a very very tough match,” he said. “I think he was playing at a high level. He was pumped. You could see it from the first point, really clear intentions what he needs to do tactically. He’s a fighter. I never faced him before but I saw some of the matches he’s played. He’s a great fighter. Competes well.”
Although the Serb said the match duration was far from ideal, he expressed satisfaction at ultimately securing the win.
“A very good win for me. Obviously not ideal that I stayed almost 4 hours on court but it’s of course positive when you win,” he concluded.
MORE: Novak Djokovic Melts Hearts As He Involves Kids Stefan and Tara in French Open 1R Celebration
With his victory, Novak Djokovic has set up a highly anticipated showdown with rising star João Fonseca at the French Open. The Brazilian punched his ticket to the third round after surviving a scare against Dino Prižmić, battling back from two sets down to clinch a 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 triumph.
