Roland Garros 2026 Men’s Day 4

Novak Djokovic stayed the course on Wednesday as he aims at a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, with the Serb reaching the French Open third round 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7), 6-3 over Valentin Royer.

The 39-year-old Djokovic owns three titles at Roland Garros, the last in 2023. His win put him into a third round here for a 21st consecutive year and ran his win streak over Frenchman to 31 in a row.

But he had to fight hard and needed five match points over two sets to conclude the victory in three and three-quarter hours.

Djokovic said he played too passive as the third set went to a tiebreaker but managed a break in the fourth set to emerge with the victory.

“This was a very, very important win for me,” he said. “Conditions were not easy and the atmosphere was in his favour.

It was not easy for either one of us.

“It was also very hot. Props to Valentin for his performance. It was a great challenge from the start for me.

“He really forced me to play my best tennis.”

The veteran said that serving for the match in the third set and failing was a blow, but he was able to re-group.

“It’s normal to have complications like this. I just hope I don’t play a French guy for the rest of the tournament – this was quite enough for me.”

Karen Khachanov needed almost four hours to overcome determined Argentine Marco Trungelliti, posting a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (4) result into the third round.

Kachanov will now play a third-round Paris match for the eighth time after denying the Andorra-based South American a second top 20 win here a decade after beating 10th-rnaked Marin Cilic in the 2016 first round.

Andrey Rublev had to go four to oust Italy’s Ugo Carabelli 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) as he won nine of his last 12 matches.. 

Dutchman Jesper de Jong followed up on his Monday ouster of retiring Swiss Stan Wawrinka, going past Italian Federico Cina 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.

The injury hard times continued for Thanasi Kokkinakis, who was forced to retire and send Pablo Carreno Busta ahead 7-5, 4-6, 2-0.

Australian Kokkinakis has suffered in a year-long comeback attempt after radical pectoral surgery in which a cadaver’s Achilles muscle was inserted to attach his pec to his shoulder.

The former No. 65 now standing 855 needed five sets in his first round win here, which surely took a physical toll.

Czech Jakub Mensik fell to the clay with cramps after toughing out a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(11) result over Mariano Navone.

The winner was unable to get back to his feet unassisted, remaining on the ground for the customary post-match handshake.

The ailing winner was finally taken away by first aid workers in a wheelchair and will now play Aussie Alex De Minaur in the third round.

Main photo:- Novak Djokovic reaches his 23rd consecutive 3rd round at Roland Garros – by ATPTour.com