Paris (AP) – Novak Djokovic managed his blistered left toe that required a Medical timeout during the third set, just one point away from being pushed into the fourth before he secured his victory over Kolenchinmut, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(1) at the French Open on Thursday.
Djokovic noted that post-match treatment lasted nearly an hour, including draining blood from his toes.
However, he stated he has “plenty of time to recover and prepare” for his next match on Saturday, expressing confidence that moving forward will not be challenging.
As a result, Djokovic reached the third round of Roland Garros, marking his 20th record—something he achieved without surpassing Raphael Nadal.
Two more victories will push Djokovic into the quarterfinals for the 16th consecutive year, although he withdrew before that round in 2024 due to a Torn meniscus in his right knee, necessitating surgery.
Djokovic holds the men’s record with 24 Grand Slam Titles in Paris.
Against the French left-hander Mutet, Djokovic secured a break in the opening game at Court Suzanne Lenglen, prompting the crowd to cheer. Yet, he soon took charge of the match. It was during the third set that he encountered some difficulties.
Djokovic spent the previous night Riding a bike around the heart of Paris, and during a forehand shot, he landed awkwardly on his right foot, requiring the trainer’s assistance to tend to his troubled toes.
Shortly after, Moutet displayed a tough demeanor towards his support crew after taking a 4-2 lead in the third set. Djokovic managed to break back but faced a challenging moment as the local crowd sang Mutet’s name, even facing a set point while they cheered. However, Moutet netted a backhand pass shot, leading Djokovic to win the tiebreaker.
This season hasn’t been typical for Djokovic, who recently faced a three-match losing streak.
Nonetheless, he broke this cycle by clinching his 100th career title at the Open in Geneva before arriving at Roland Garros.
“Before last week’s tournament in Geneva, I lacked confidence in my game. But not winning enough matches made it natural to feel that way,” Djokovic said. “I’m just like any other player in that aspect. I needed to put in the effort to secure victories.”
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Howard Fendrich has been covering tennis for the Associated Press since 2002. Find his stories at https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis coverage is available at https://apnews.com/hub/tennis.
Source: apnews.com