Novak Djokovic reached the third round at Roland Garros with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-3 victory over Valentin Royer on Wednesday, extending his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title despite a punishing heat wave across Paris. The 39-year-old Serbian, seeded third, required three hours and 44 minutes to overcome the 74th-ranked Frenchman on Court Philippe-Chatrier, using ice packs around his neck and head during changeovers to manage the conditions.
How did Djokovic handle the extreme heat?
Djokovic placed ice packs on his neck and head between games as temperatures rose above 32 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) for the fourth consecutive day at the tournament. He acknowledged the toll of the conditions after the match, stating that "when you play a three-and-a-half hour match on clay, it's long and very exhausting" and that "these days have been really, really very challenging for a lot of players," according to Sportsnet.ca.
What made Royer a difficult opponent?
Royer, born just five kilometres from Roland Garros, showed far more resistance than his ranking suggested, pushing Djokovic to a tiebreak in the third set. The Frenchman had earned only one tour-level win across 11 tournaments before facing Djokovic, yet forced the Serbian to save five match points in the fourth set before finally succumbing when Royer's forehand landed in the net on a long rally.
Djokovic improved to 14-0 in his career against French opponents at Roland Garros and reached the third round for a 21st consecutive year. He will next face Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, who defeated Croatia's Dino Prizmic 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 after trailing two sets to love.
Who else advanced on day four?
Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, seeded second, crashed out of the tournament in an upset loss to Ukrainian opponent Dayana Yastremska. Four-time champion Iga Swiatek and world No. 7 Elina Svitolina both advanced to the third round in straight sets, while men's second seed Alexander Zverev defeated Tomas Machac 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in the night match.
Djokovic came to Paris seeking to regain form after losing his only clay-court tune-up match at the Italian Open to Dino Prizmic following a two-month absence due to a right shoulder injury. He beat world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open quarter-finals earlier this year and cannot face the title favourite until a potential final at Roland Garros.
Sources
- Sportsnet.ca: French Open roundup: Djokovic advances, Rybakina upset. 2026-05-27.
- SuperSport: Djokovic fights through at French Open, Rybakina dumped out. 2026-05-27.
- WJXT: Djokovic pushed in 4-set win amid heat wave at French Open. Rybakina beaten in big day for Ukraine. 2026-05-27.
- Outlook India: French Open 2026 Day 4 Wrap: Djokovic Pushed To Four Sets Amid Heat Wave; Rybakina Stunned At Roland Garros. 2026-05-28.
Reported from public sources.