Milan, 25 May (LaPresse) – Two days after his 39th birthday, Novak Djokovic celebrated his 22nd consecutive appearance at Roland Garros in the best possible way, defeating France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 in the tournament’s first evening session. It was no easy match, starting on the back foot and turning around with the Serb’s first break coming at the end of the second set after missing nine consecutive break points. In the second round, he faces Frenchman Valentin Royer, who beat Hugo Dellien 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. Nole’s record at Roland Garros against French players stands at 13 wins from 13 matches. Meanwhile, Nishesh Basavareddy has pulled off the first major upset at Roland Garros 2026. Ranked 148th in the world, making his main draw debut in Paris thanks to a wild card, he defeated Taylor Fritz, the world number 9, 7-6(5), 7-6(5), 6-7(9), 6-1. Fritz’s 71 winners were not enough to prevent his second consecutive first-round exit from the tournament.
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