Novak Djokovic opened his quest for a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam singles title with a comfortable victory over Aleksandar Kovacic in the first round of the French Open.
Two-time Roland Garros champion Djokovic defeated his American rival in straight sets 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1). Despite facing a late rally from Kovacevic, Djokovic was able to hold his composure and secure the win. The victory extended his streak of never losing the opening match of a major tournament since the 2006 Australian Open. In the next round, Djokovic will face Martin Fuchsaux, who he has defeated four times before.
In men’s tennis, top seed and rising star Carlos Alcaraz also had a great start to his French Open campaign. The 20-year-old Spaniard showcased his skills against Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli, winning the match 6-0, 6-2, 7-5.
Alcaraz, who has excelled on clay courts this season with wins at the Madrid and Barcelona Opens, is considered favorite to win the title in the absence of compatriot Rafael Nadal. Alcaraz’s next opponent will be Japan’s Taro Daniel.
In other matches, Canadian 10th seed Felix Auger-Iliasime suffered a first-round defeat for the third time in four visits to Roland Garros. He lost in straight sets to Fabio Fognini, who produced an unexpected performance to win 6-4, 6-4, 6-3. British 14th seed Cameron Nouri survived a five-set thriller against Benoit Perre, while former champion Stan Wawrinka battled for four hours and 35 minutes to overcome Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
In the women’s draw, Ukrainian Elina Svitolina celebrated her first Grand Slam win since the 2022 Australian Open. She defeated Martina Trevisan 6-2, 6-2. French fifth seed Caroline Garcia delighted the home crowd with a hard-fought win over Wang Xiu.
Former runner-up Sylvain Stephens defeated 16th seed Karolina Pliskova, and 2021 finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova comfortably beat Linda Frovetova.
Djokovic and Alcaraz showed their talent and advanced to the second round of the French Open, while other notable players suffered from unexpected victories and defeats.
The tournament promises to offer exciting match-ups and surprises as the competition progresses.