Novak Djokovic faced a dramatic and tense moment at Court Philippe-Chatrier, where he was met with boos from the packed 15,000-strong crowd after slipping during a critical phase of his match against Pierre-Hugues Herbert. The world No. 1 stumbled near the net as Herbert served to stay in the match at 4-5 in the third set. Djokovic’s slip prompted a pause as he cleaned himself up with a towel, adding an unexpected twist to the already intense night-session showdown.
And the French fans weren’t happy as the seconds ticked by and Herbert was still left waiting, as they started to boo and jeer the three-time champion at Roland Garros Former doubles No. 1 Herbert earned a game point to keep himself alive with the shot that left Djokovic on the ground, leading 40-30 on his serve.
But last year’s winner refused to let him get away and broke moments later to seal a 6-4 7-6(4) 6-4 victory.
The fans were back on Djokovic’s side after he started his title defence with a win, cheering the 24-time Grand Slam champion as he left the court.
it’s a welcome victory for the 37-year-old who has struggled to find his usual superior form so far this season. Djokovic has yet to reach a final at any tournament in 2024 and admitted that he had “low expectations and high hopes” coming into Roland Garros.
But he is still holding out for a strong run at the French Open as he is known for peaking at the Grand Slams. “Well, I would say that I know what I’m capable of, and particularly in the Grand Slams I normally play the best tennis, at least I aim always to play the best tennis, and I was most of my career able to do that, so that’s the goal,” he explained ahead of the tournament.
I have been saying, you know, for quite a while that in terms of clay I want to peak here in Paris, in Roland Garros. Last year I had an amazing year, and particularly here in Roland Garros, and hopefully I can, yeah, have a great tournament.
“Of course it does affect me, you know, the five months that I had so far in the year that haven’t been great in terms of my tennis. That’s why I have, you know, a kind of an approach that is focused on a daily basis more trying to build the form and momentum so that I can have a better chance to reach further in the tournament.
