Defending champion Novak Djokovic dismissed concerns about his form with a convincing 6-4 7-6(3) 6-4 victory over Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the first round of the French Open.
The top seed had to wait until the night session of the third day to start his quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title in the Open era, but he quickly found his rhythm to defeat French wildcard Herbert on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Despite doubts arising from his performance this year and the threat to his world number one ranking from Jannik Sinner, the 37-year-old Serbian looked in fine form. He has an impressive record in first-round matches, winning 72 out of 74 in Grand Slam tournaments.
Djokovic acknowledged the challenge posed by Herbert but expressed satisfaction with his own performance, emphasizing that he values every match at this stage of his career.
Although recent defeats in Rome and Geneva raised questions about his aspirations for the French Open, Djokovic emphasized the significance of Grand Slam events and highlighted their role in motivating him to push himself in training.
While there were moments of resistance from Herbert, Djokovic's superior play and determination ultimately secured his victory, setting up a second-round match against Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena.
