Novak Djokovic beat French player Valentin Royer 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-3 on Court Philippe Chatrier on May 27, reaching the third round of the 2026 French Open after nearly four hours of play [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Temperatures soared to the mid-30s Celsius (low 90s Fahrenheit) during the match, creating brutal conditions for players [1, 6, 7, 3, 4, 5]. The encounter lasted approximately 3 hours and 43-44 minutes [3, 4, 5].

Royer, ranked 74th in the world, offered stiff resistance, saving multiple match points in the third-set tiebreak to extend the contest [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Djokovic acknowledged his moments of passivity in that set, saying, "Look, my fault for not finishing this match in straights… He stepped it up, obviously felt great support from the crowd" [3]. Despite the challenges, Djokovic celebrated his win with his signature "violin" gesture [3, 4].

At 39, Djokovic is pursuing a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title. He has reached the Roland Garros third round for 21 consecutive years and holds a perfect 14-0 record against French players at the tournament [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. He experienced physical discomfort during the match, including back or hip tightness, and used ice packs at changeovers to cope with the heat [3, 4].

Several players have voiced their concerns over the intense heat. Jakub Mensik described playing over 4.5 hours in more than 30 degrees Celsius conditions as "insane," collapsing with cramps after his marathon match on May 27 [6, 7, 5]. Djokovic suggested rescheduling matches to cooler, later times to avoid extreme heat, stating, "Honestly, with Grand Slams it shouldn’t be an issue [...] you can reschedule them some other courts and have still the crowd in the stadium" [6, 7].

In the third round, Djokovic faces 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca, who came back from two sets down to defeat Croatian Dino Prizmic [5, 8, 9]. Djokovic praised Fonseca’s talent and big-stage play, noting, "His potential and quality as a tennis player is obvious... He's a big-stage player" [8]. Fonseca called playing Djokovic "a dream" and said he will "enjoy every moment" against the sport’s all-time great [8]. The men’s draw opened up further after Jannik Sinner’s shock exit on May 28, boosting Djokovic’s chances [8, 9].

Djokovic prepared for his third-round match against Fonseca today, May 29, focusing on the challenge ahead amid hot conditions at Roland Garros [8, 9].