Djokovic makes winning start to French Open bid

French Open 2025

Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros

Coverage: Live power commentaries crossed 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, positive unrecorded matter commentaries connected nan BBC Sport website and app

Novak Djokovic began his latest bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title pinch a commanding triumph complete Mackenzie McDonald.

The erstwhile world number 1 ended his hold for a 100th ATP singles title successful Geneva past week and maintained his caller upturn successful shape pinch a 6-3 6-3 triumph complete nan 98th-ranked American.

Djokovic - who turned 38 past week - has now won each 21 of nan first-round matches he has played astatine Roland Garros.

Sixth seed Djokovic will adjacent play nan victor of nan all-French lucifer betwixt Corentin Moutet and Clement Tabur.

Djokovic arrived successful Geneva without a triumph connected clay successful 2025, having suffered first-round exits successful some Monte Carlo and Madrid.

But pinch his hold for a 100th Tour-level title yet complete - 1 which had gone connected since he completed nan profession 'Golden Slam' astatine nan Paris Olympics past summertime - nan Serb will consciousness he is opening to summation existent momentum connected this surface.

The one-sided triumph complete McDonald, completed 2 minutes short of nan two-hour mark, was his 5th successive triumph pursuing a tally of 3 consecutive losses.

After that unfamiliar slump successful results, Djokovic took nan determination to extremity his six-month business pinch coach and erstwhile rival Andy Murray, who he said joked this week that he was winning tournaments now he had "a due coach".

Asked astir his last-minute determination to compete successful Geneva, Djokovic said: "I deliberation it was a bully move, to beryllium honest, because I was struggling a small spot pinch [my] assurance level, doubting my crippled a bit.

"It was bully that I sewage 4 matches nether my belt, won a title.

"Coming into Roland Garros, it feels different than compared to nan emotion I had 3 weeks ago.

"Let's spot really acold I tin go, but I person a bully emotion for now."

Djokovic faces a reliable way to nan trophy. He is projected to meet 3rd seed Alexander Zverev successful nan quarter-finals, world number 1 Jannik Sinner successful nan past 4 and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz successful nan final.

But it is yet that pursuit which continues to thrust him connected successful nan twilight of his career, pinch 1 past grounds - surpassing Margaret Court for nan outright number of Grand Slam singles title - still near to break.

Djokovic mislaid service conscionable erstwhile successful his first lucifer connected Court Philippe Chatrier since his Olympic triumph, hitting 32 winners compared to conscionable 20 unforced errors.

Elsewhere connected Tuesday, Germany's Zverev hit American Learner Tien 6-3 6-3 6-4, and Britain's world number 5 Jack Draper came backmost to triumph 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-2 against Italy's Mattia Bellucci.

Britain's Cameron Norrie could look Djokovic successful nan 4th information after stunning Russian 11th seed Daniil Medvedev 7-5 6-3 4-6 1-6 7-5.

Australian ninth seed Alex De Minaur was different winner, beating Serb Laslo Djere 6-3 6-4 7-6 (8-6).

Russian 17th seed Andrey Rublev won 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-1 against South Africa's Lloyd Harris, while Czech 19th seed Jakub Mensik, who hit Djokovic successful nan Miami Open last successful March, hit Frenchman Alexandre Muller 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3.