NOVAK Djokovic, a player who experienced both the agony of a French Open withdrawal due to injury and the elation of an Olympic gold medal at Roland-Garros last year, commenced his latest campaign at the Parisian clay courts with a serene start.
Despite initial interruptions from the windy and wet weather, the 24-time major champion secured a straightforward 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory over American Mackie McDonald, ranked 98th, on Court Philippe-Chatrier in the first round.
McDonald, a 30-year-old Californian with a collegiate tennis background from UCLA and two prior fourth-round appearances at Grand Slams, expressed admiration for Djokovic’s seemingly effortless play.
“He makes it seem like a video game, almost, for him,” McDonald observed. “He’s able to just do so much. I don’t even think he was playing his best tennis or his highest level. But if I pushed him to a different point, he would bring it up.”
Djokovic demonstrated this ability to elevate his game when challenged. Facing his first break points at love-40 in the second set, with the score at 3-2, Djokovic responded with three powerful serves: an ace at 120 mph (193 kph), another ace at 123 mph (199 kph) and a service winner at 122 mph (197 kph), effectively extinguishing McDonald’s opportunity.
The match, which eventually concluded under the stadium lights with the retractable roof closed, saw Djokovic accumulate 32 winners, significantly more than McDonald’s 14, while committing only 20 unforced errors.
Before stepping onto the court, Djokovic, who recently turned 38 and celebrated his 100th career title last weekend, was introduced by the stadium announcer with a flourish, highlighting his total Grand Slam trophies, his three French Open titles and the Olympic gold medal he won “here in Paris.”
“I still remember last year’s Olympic Games. It was the last time I was here,” Djokovic reflected after the match. “The emotion is very strong.”
When asked about the cherished medal, he revealed, “I don’t have the medal with me. But I have a picture of the medal in my bag. The medal is with my father. My dad likes trophies more than I do, so I gave him mine.”
On the women’s side, Coco Gauff faced an unexpected pre-match hiccup when she discovered her rackets were missing from her bag upon arriving on court, delaying her warmup.
However, once the equipment was retrieved, the 2023 US Open champion smoothly navigated her first-round match, defeating Olivia Gadecki 6-2, 6-2.
Other prominent winners included the No. 3 seeds, Jessica Pegula and Alexander Zverev, and the promising 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva. In a significant upset, 11th-seeded Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, fell to Cam Norrie in a nearly four-hour marathon, 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5.
Day 4 of the French Open will see the commencement of the second round. The schedule features appearances by defending champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz, 2024 runner-up Jasmine Paolini and two-time finalist Casper Ruud.
A highly anticipated matchup will close the day session in the main stadium, as Swiatek takes on 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu. / FROM THE WIRES