Serbian tennis veteran and 3rd seed, Novak Djokovic, will begin his 2026 French Open (Roland Garros) campaign with a tricky first-round clash against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
The opening-round match is set for Sunday, May 24, 2026, marking a relatively uncommon Sunday start for Djokovic at a Grand Slam event.
Perricard, a 22-year-old French player standing at 6’7”, is widely regarded as one of the tour’s emerging big servers, with his powerful delivery and aggressive style expected to test Djokovic early on the clay courts of Paris.
Djokovic enters the tournament chasing a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title, having not competed since a first-round exit at the Italian Open.
Looking ahead in the draw, the Serbian could potentially meet Brazilian rising star João Fonseca in the third round, while a fourth-round showdown may await against Norwegian world No. 17 Casper Ruud, last year’s Italian Open runner-up.
