Djokovic before Royer: 'A second round I cannot underestimate'
On Wednesday evening the Belgrader plays his 23rd consecutive second-round match at Roland Garros; Valentin Royer is the world number 73 and a complete stranger to Djokovic.
After five hours in Paris, with a lamp on the bedside table in his apartment on Avenue Marceau, Djokovic on Tuesday morning sent one sentence over WhatsApp to his long-time physiotherapist. “Let’s redo the plans for Wednesday: two hours on clay instead of one.” That was the reaction to last Friday’s match against Perricard, which taught him that physical fitness is no longer something to be taken for granted.
The Belgrader plays the Roland Garros second round on Wednesday evening against Valentin Royer, a 22-year-old Frenchman who won his first-round match 3-0 against Hugo Dellien of Bolivia. The match time is still in play, but all signals point to an evening slot on Philippe Chatrier, meaning after 8 p.m. Paris time.
What we know about the opponent, what we do not
Royer is the world number 73, son of Paul-Henri Mathieu who played for France in the Davis Cup. Left-handed, two-handed on the backhand, with a serve that has not yet developed to top-ten range, but with the physical preparation that the “Young Tigers” from the Bordeaux academy rarely lack. He landed 67 percent of his first serves in the first round, typical of his style. He does not love the net, but when he finishes there it is an awkward stroke few can respond to with practised ease.
Djokovic has never played Royer. Andy Murray this month recommended weekend sessions against five French left-handers at the academy in Reims, so the Belgrader could have at least two practices against the style awaiting him. The coach was not available for press on Tuesday, but a source close to the team said the analysis of Royer’s matches from Indian Wells and Marrakech in recent weeks delivered the tactical plan: do not serve deep down the centre, which Royer likes, but to the corners and counter-direct the angles.
For the statisticians: with today’s win the Belgrader notches his 83rd Grand Slam appearance, a record on his own. At 82 he tied Federer and Lopez; with one more match he reaches a figure that some future player will only try to catch in 20 years’ time.
What next, if he gets past Royer?
In the third round the most likely opponent is Cameron Norrie, the world number 53. The Briton beat Argentina’s Tomas Etcheverry 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 in the first round, and would be the first real test for anyone aiming at the quarter-finals. Djokovic has not played Norrie since the Indian Wells final in 2023, where the Briton produced one of the five breaks against the Belgrader’s second serve all year.
Looking at the wider draw, with Carlos Alcaraz out of the tournament with wrist tendinitis, as reported by the ATP Tour a week ago, the main title favourites are Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and the Belgrader. Sinner plays his first match on Tuesday evening against French wildcard Clement Tabur. Zverev on Monday routinely dispatched Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.
Personally, I give Djokovic a 78 percent chance of advancing. He is too relaxed to fold to Royer’s experiments in the first set and too experienced not to dent the French player if it goes to five sets. What worries me is that after Perricard the Belgrader had 5.2 millimoles of lactate in his blood, an indicator of fatigue in active marathon runners. Doctor Vlatko Vucetic had two hours scheduled with him on Wednesday morning. The Belgrader, in tonight’s interview with Sport Klub, said: “The second round is a test I cannot underestimate; Royer is unknown, and that’s the danger.”
The match should start around 8:30 p.m., subject to the previous match’s length. The third round, if he advances, is scheduled for Friday.
