The 39-Year-Old Legend on Stage Again: Djokovic Denies Another Frenchman — Beats Royer in 4 Sets

The second round of Roland Garros 2026 became the name of a day in which Novak Djokovic was again tested by French resistance. The 39-year-old Serbian legend, who had beaten Mpetshi Perricard in 4 sets in the first round, this time took to the court at Court Philippe-Chatrier against Frenchman Valentin Royer. The match was played on Wednesday, May 27, and Djokovic advanced to the third round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(9), 6-3 victory.

The first two sets of the match passed under Djokovic's dominance. The Serbian star completed two sets in succession with open scorelines of 6-3 and 6-2; many viewers thought a straight-sets victory was on the way. But Roland Garros' surprises were not yet over.

In the third set, Royer showed his character. The young Frenchman did not give up against his giant rival and carried the set to a tie-break. The dramatic tie-break ending 11-9 became what could be called a career-best moment for Royer. The set won against the champion-aspirant Serbian's tennis also doubled the fans' enthusiasm.

Djokovic's response in the fourth set, however, was worthy of legends. The Serbian star did not allow even a moment of resistance and ended the match with a decisive 6-3 set score, securing advancement to the third round. This victory added another R2 win to Djokovic's record of 80 wins and 2 losses in opening matches at majors.

In the third round, Djokovic awaits the winner of the still-playing match between Brazilian Joao Fonseca and Croatian Dino Prizmic. If Fonseca advances, the clash between one of world tennis's future stars and the legend will be a high-attention encounter. Djokovic is in pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam in his career; every round brings him one step closer to that goal.

In conclusion, despite being 39, Djokovic continues on the road in Paris. But Royer's resistance in the third set underlined that the Serbian star's road this year will not be entirely smooth. Still, the tennis world sees the legend in pursuit of a historic 25th Slam; eyes will remain on him in the third round of Roland Garros as well.