Novak Djokovic advanced in his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title by defeating Valentin Royer in four sets in the French Open second round on Wednesday. On the other hand, women’s second seed Elena Rybakina was eliminated from the tournament. Iga Swiatek and Elina Svitolina also secured wins to move into the last 32.
In a hard-fought match lasting three and three-quarter hours, Djokovic overcame Royer 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3 after being challenged by the Frenchman. Djokovic expressed relief at not facing any more French players in the tournament. The Serb, who is tied with Margaret Court at 24 Grand Slam titles since his 2023 US Open victory, displayed strong performance throughout the match.
Elsewhere, Czech player Jakub Mensik, the only player to defeat Jannik Sinner this year apart from Djokovic, secured a victory after a tough battle. Rising Spanish talent Rafael Jodar also progressed to the third round for the first time in a Grand Slam by defeating James Duckworth.
Australian Open champion Rybakina suffered a defeat, losing to Yuliia Starodubtseva after initially leading by a set. Starodubtseva, now facing Wang Xiyu in the next round, expressed her happiness at defeating a top-10 player for the first time in her career.
Swiatek, aiming to reclaim her 2024 title, comfortably won her match against Sara Bejlek. Svitolina, the seventh seed, continued her strong performance by defeating Kaitlin Quevedo. Svitolina, a recent winner at the Italian Open, is set to face Tamara Korpatsch in the upcoming match.
