Despite being seeded third this year, Djokovic remains a formidable contender
Djokovic cruises into second round at French Open, eyes record-breaking title.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz both secured victories in the first round of the French Open.
Djokovic, aiming for a record 23rd Grand Slam title, defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic in straight sets, maintaining his unbeaten record in opening matches of majors since 2006. Despite being seeded third this year, Djokovic remains a formidable contender. He will face Marton Fucsovics in the second round. Meanwhile, Alcaraz, the top seed and favorite to win in the absence of Rafael Nadal, showcased his talent with an impressive victory over Flavio Cobolli.
The 20-year-old Spaniard played superbly and won the match comfortably, though he did face some challenges in the third set. Alcaraz is set to meet Djokovic in the semi-finals if both players advance.
In other matches, Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Canadian 10th seed, suffered a disappointing loss to Fabio Fognini in straight sets, marking his third first-round defeat at Roland Garros. British 14th seed Cameron Norrie emerged victorious in a five-set thriller against Benoit Paire, advancing to the next round.
Former champion Stan Wawrinka triumphed over Albert Ramos-Vinolas after a grueling five-set battle, setting up a clash with Thanasi Kokkinakis. Zhang Zhizhen made history as the first Chinese man to win a main-draw match at the French Open since 1937 when his opponent, Dusan Lajovic, retired injured.
In the women's draw, Elina Svitolina celebrated her first win at a Grand Slam event since the 2022 Australian Open, defeating Martina Trevisan in straight sets. Svitolina, who recently returned to the tour after a break due to health problems and mental exhaustion, expressed her joy at the victory.
French fifth seed Caroline Garcia pleased the home fans with a hard-fought win over Wang Xiyu, while Sloane Stephens eliminated 16th seed Karolina Pliskova in straight sets. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 2021 finalist, secured a convincing victory over Linda Fruhvirtova.
As the tournament progresses, tennis fans eagerly await the next matches, hoping for more thrilling performances and surprising upsets.
