Novak Djokovic hit out at the Paris crowd after the whistle during a tense encounter at Roland Garros

Novak Djokovic hit out at sections of the Roland Garros crowd after he was repeatedly booed during his second-round clash against France’s Valentin Royer, accusing the Paris crowd of showing “no respect” throughout the match. The Serb eventually battled past the local favorite in four sets to reach the third round of the French Open.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion defeated Royer 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-3 in a grueling match which lasted almost three hours and 45 minutes at Court Philippe-Chatrier. But while Djokovic secured his place in the next round, the atmosphere inside the stadium remained tense for most of the evening.

FRENCH OPEN 2026, DAY 4: MAIN

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imagine booing the greatest player of all time because these french crowds are so ungrateful to have a member of the big 3 playing in their midst after all this time as if it never happened to raf or roger… pic.twitter.com/c7EytI0WfJ— swiftfox1301 (@swiftfox1301) May 27, 2026

After the match, Djokovic admitted that he had hoped to avoid facing more French players for the rest of the tournament due to the behavior of the crowd.

“I hope I won’t play any French players for the rest of the tournament,” Djokovic said after the win.

Tensions between Djokovic and the crowd escalated midway through the match when the Serb sarcastically applauded the crowd after being booed on points. The referee finally intervened and appealed for calm in the stadium.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please be respectful to both players,” announced the referee.

Djokovic immediately responded by saying, “They have no respect. No respect.”

The atmosphere remained heated for most of the evening as Royer, ranked 74th in the world, continued to push the Serb into the clash much harder than many expected.

DJOKOVIC SURVIVES ROYER’S TEST IN PARIS TEP

The match itself turned into a much tougher battle than Djokovic would have ideally liked.

Playing in intense Paris heat, with temperatures once again soaring above 32 degrees, the 39-year-old repeatedly used ice packs around his neck and head during the change to stay cool.

Royer, who had won just one match at tournament level before coming to Roland Garros this year, produced the best performance of his young career and was able to frustrate Djokovic for long spells, especially after stealing the third-set tiebreak.

Djokovic even missed an earlier opportunity to finish the match in the tiebreak, forcing a backhand long before eventually needing four more match points in the fourth set to finally seal it.

One of the biggest moments of the evening came early in the fourth set when Djokovic produced a stunning forehand winner around the post from behind the court. After winning the point, the Serbian waved his arms towards the crowd in celebration, almost prompting another roar from the Paris crowd.

When the match was finally over, Djokovic tripped briefly on the clay before performing his signature fiddle celebration with the racket.

The victory extended Djokovic’s incredible record against French players at Roland Garros to 14–0 and also marked his 21st consecutive French Open third-round appearance, tying Roger Federer’s Open Era record for most straight third-round appearances at a single Grand Slam.

FONSECA AWAITS DJOKOVIC IN THE THIRD ROUND

Djokovic will now take on one of tennis’s fastest rising young stars, 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca, in one of the main clashes of the tournament so far.

Fonseca reached the third round after staging a stunning comeback victory against Dino Prizmic, recovering from two sets down to win 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.

The Serbian arrived in Paris with some fitness and form issues after losing his only match on clay before Roland Garros following a long lay-off with a shoulder injury. However, after back-to-back wins over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Royer, Djokovic is increasingly looking like a player who is slowly rediscovering his rhythm in a perfect phase of the tournament.

And although there have been boos around Court Philippe-Chatrier again, the 39-year-old remains firmly in the hunt for a record 25th Grand Slam title.

– The end

Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

28 May 2026 08:57 IST