Novak Djokovic survives French Open scare

Novak Djokovic opened his 2026 French Open with a four-set win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Sunday, surviving an early jolt from the Frenchman in the night session at Roland Garros. Djokovic lost the first set before coming through 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 in Paris, according to Olympics.com’s match report and live coverage from The Athletic. (olympics.com) The result kept Djokovic’s campaign alive as he pursues another major title in a men’s draw that placed him in the opposite half from top seed Jannik Sinner. (cbssports.com) CBS Sports and Olympics.com said Djokovic was the No. 3 seed and could only meet Sinner in the final. ### How much trouble was Djokovic in after the first set? Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard took the opening set 7-5 on Sunday after breaking Djokovic late and serving it out, according to live reports from Yardbarker and Olympics.com. The Frenchman’s start gave the home crowd a brief upset chance against the 24-time Grand Slam champion. (olympics.com) Olympics.com, citing the BBC, said it was the first time Djokovic had lost a set in the first round at the French Open since 2010. (cbssports.com) The same report said Djokovic has never lost in the opening round in Paris. ### What changed after Djokovic fell behind? The second set turned the match. Djokovic took it 7-5, leveling the contest before pulling away 6-1 in the third set and 6-4 in the fourth, according to Olympics.com’s score report. (yardbarker.com) The Athletic’s live coverage said Djokovic advanced in four sets on Day 1, with Mirra Andreeva also moving through and Nishesh Basavareddy upsetting Taylor Fritz elsewhere in the draw. That placed Djokovic’s win among the headline results from the tournament’s opening day. (olympics.com) ### Who is Mpetshi Perricard, and why was this a tricky opener? Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard is a 22-year-old French player who spoke before the match about the challenge of facing Djokovic at Roland Garros. ATP Tour coverage published Saturday quoted Mpetshi Perricard as saying, “It’s going to be quite a fight.” (olympics.com) Roland-Garros’ official live page billed the match as the tournament’s first night session and described Mpetshi Perricard as Djokovic’s French opponent on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The setting gave the opener added weight for Djokovic against a home player in front of a Paris crowd. (nytimes.com) ### What does the draw look like from here? CBS Sports said before the tournament that Djokovic entered as the No. 3 seed, while Olympics.com said he and Sinner were drawn into opposite halves. That means the earliest they could meet is the championship match. (atptour.com) USA Today said the 2026 French Open runs from May 24 to June 7. Djokovic’s next match will come in the second round as he continues a bid for what USA Today described as a record 25th major title. (usatoday.com) (cbssports.com) (rolandgarros.com)