Novak Djokovic made a clinical start to his latest pursuit of a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at the French Open on Tuesday, while women’s contenders Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva successfully got their campaigns under way at a windy Roland Garros.
The 38-year-old Djokovic had little trouble in seeing off 98th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, three days after becoming only the third man to win 100 ATP titles with his victory in Geneva.
“Well, the emotions were really nice,” said Djokovic, seeded sixth and playing in Paris for the first time since winning Olympic gold last August.
“But, you know, it was quite challenging conditions I think at the beginning of the match with the wind and rain and everything that was happening.”
The three-time French Open champion lost his opening matches in both Monte Carlo and Madrid earlier in the clay-court season, but was dominant against McDonald, despite failing to serve out the second set in the eighth game.
“I think it was good move to go to Geneva, to be honest, because I was also struggling a little bit with confidence level, doubting my game a bit,” said Djokovic.
“So it was good that I got four matches under my belt, won a title. Coming into Roland Garros, it feels different than I had comparing to the feeling I had three weeks ago. Let’s see how far I can go here, but I have a good feeling for now.”
The Serb, who withdrew injured before the quarter-finals in 2024, will next meet 73rd-ranked Frenchman Corentin Moutet.
Djokovic is on the same half of the draw as world number one Jannik Sinner and last year’s runner-up Alexander Zverev, who saw off American teenager Learner Tien 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
World number three Zverev is hoping to go a step further than 12 months ago when he lost the final to Carlos Alcaraz, his third defeat in as many Grand Slam finals.
Zverev, who has reached at least the semi-finals in each of the last four French Opens, will next face Dutchman Jesper de Jong.
Former US Open champion and five-time Grand Slam runner-up Daniil Medvedev was dumped out in the first round for the sixth time in Paris, losing a dramatic clash with Cameron Norrie 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5.
Grigor Dimitrov retired injured for a fourth consecutive Grand Slam tournament, calling it quits due to a leg injury when leading American Ethan Quinn by two sets to one.
British fifth seed Jack Draper won his first match at the French Open, rallying past Italy’s 68th-ranked Mattia Bellucci 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the second round on his third attempt.
Ninth seed Alex de Minaur, a quarter-finalist at each of the past four majors, started well with an accomplished 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) win over Serbia’s Laslo Djere.
Miami champion Jakub Mensik came through an entertaining match against Frenchman Alexandre Muller, 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-3 victory.
Gauff, Andreeva impress
In the women’s draw, 2022 runner-up Gauff brushed aside Australia’s Olivia Gadecki 6-2, 6-2.
Gauff, the 2023 US Open winner, has not won a tournament since last year’s WTA Finals but reached the finals at both Madrid and Rome this month.
The 21-year-old American has reached the quarter-finals or better in each of her past four visits to Roland Garros.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be a clean match with how windy it was,” said the second seed, who initially forgot her racquets which had to be collected by a ball boy.
“Honestly, it was two different matches depending on which side of the court you were on.”
Rising Russian star Andreeva is eyeing her maiden Grand Slam crown after WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells and recovered well after falling 3-0 down to Spaniard Cristina Bucsa in the first set.
The 18-year-old quickly overturned the double-break deficit and eventually cruised to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over the world number 98.
“With time I played better and better, so I felt like closer to the end of the match was playing good, not like in the beginning,” said the sixth seed.
Andreeva, who reached the semi-finals last year, will play American Ashlyn Krueger in the second round.
Third seed Jessica Pegula also made serene progress with a 6-2, 6-4 success against Romania’s Anca Todoni as the American returned to Roland Garros after missing the 2024 edition due to injuries.
Two-time former Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka hammered Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer, who will retire after Wimbledon, 6-0, 6-0 on Court 6, while Magdalena Frech knocked out three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur.
AFP
