Novak Djokovic began his quest for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title in dominant fashion at Roland Garros. The Serbian star dispatched American Mackenzie McDonald in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, to extend his remarkable unbeaten streak in first-round matches at the French Open.
The all-time leader in menās Grand Slam titles entered the tournament in peak form, fresh off winning his 100th career title at the Geneva Open by defeating Hubert Hurkacz in the final.
That victory placed Djokovic in an elite group with Roger Federer (103 titles) and Jimmy Connors (109 titles) as the only men in tennis history to reach the century mark in career championships.
With this victory, Djokovic improved to an unparalleled 20-0 in first-round matches at Roland Garros. Remarkably, he hasnāt dropped a set in his opening matches at the tournament since 2010, when he needed four sets to defeat Evgeny Korolev.
Djokovicās consistency extends beyond Roland Garros, with perfect first-round records at the US Open (18-0) and Wimbledon (19-0). His last opening-round loss at a Grand Slam occurred at the 2006 Australian Open against American Paul Goldstein.
see also
Seven-time Grand Slam champion makes bold prediction for Novak Djokovicās Roland Garros campaign
Djokovic reflects on history and motivation
As one of tennisā greatest players, Djokovic remains laser-focused on making history. Speaking during his on-court interview after the match, he shared the drive behind his quest for records.
āHistory in this sport has given me everything in my lifeāit means a lot to me,ā Djokovic noted. āI always try to make history where I canā¦ in all the tournaments I play, all the practices, all the matches, and especially during the biggest tournaments in the world. There is an opportunity to make more history, and that is one of the biggest motivations I have for competition, for continuing to work and better myselfā.
About the win against McDonald
While Djokovic delivered a commanding performance, he acknowledged McDonaldās capabilities, suggesting the American didnāt perform at his usual level. āIt was a solid match. I know that he can play to a better standard than today, but I am very happy with what I produced,ā Djokovic explained.
āI try to enjoy every moment on this very special and beautiful court,ā he continued. āI feel good, especially here, because Iām reliving the memories of last yearās Olympics, the last time I played on this court. [They are] beautiful emotionsā.
