'Have some respect!' - Why Novak Djokovic hopes for no more French opponents at Roland-Garros after 'very, very tough' exchange
Published 28/05/2026 at 12:56 GMT+1
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Novak Djokovic appeared an irritable figure on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Wednesday as he contended with home favorite Valentin Royer and the inevitable partisan crowd.
'Have some respect' - Watch as Djokovic complains to umpire over fan behaviour
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Such was the ferocity of the atmosphere on Paris' main show court that the chair umpire demanded the crowd to "have some respect" as Djokovic complained over the fan behaviour after a shout during his ball toss on serve.
After racing into a two-set lead, Djokovic was frustrated by Royer's resistance and the Frenchman forced a fourth set after winning the tie-break.
He could not prevent Djokovic from clinching victory - and a third-round match-up against Joao Fonseca - but the 24-time Grand Slam champion expressed his desire to avoid any more Frenchmen in his path to a potential final.
"I hope I won’t play any more French players for the rest of the tournament," Djokovic said in his on-court interview.
There were concerns around Djokovic's fitness before the French Open as he played just one match on clay - a defeat in Rome - after dealing with a shoulder injury during the Sunshine Swing.
While he has not appeared hampered during his first and second-round victories in Paris - both of which were won in four sets - the 39-year-old confessed he has played more tennis than he would have liked in the early stages.
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Djokovic shushes crowd after saving key break point
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"When you play a three-and-a-half hour match on clay, it's long and very exhausting," Djokovic said. "So, yeah, you know, physically spent quite a bit of energy today on a very hot day.
"Very challenging conditions. Yeah, it was obviously my fault I didn't finish in straight sets because I break up twice in the third match point. Just too passive on those points and he took his chances, and he got the crowd support he was looking for.
"Obviously, the momentum shifted but I managed to kind of regroup in the fourth. You know, it was very challenging. The scoreline maybe doesn't do justice. It was just a very, very tough match. I think he was playing on a high level.
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"He was pumped. You could see it from the first point. Like, really with clear intentions what he needs to do tactically.
"He's a fighter. I never faced him before but I saw some of the matches he's played. He's a great fighter, competes well. So just a very good win for me. Obviously, it's not ideal that I stayed almost four hours on the court but, yeah, it's, of course, positive when you win."
Fortunately for Djokovic, there is only one French player remaining on his half of the draw - Quentin Halys, who faces a tough third-round match against Alexander Zverev.
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'Do not try that at home!' - Djokovic hits 'remarkable' round-the-net winner
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Djokovic's third-round opponent, Fonseca, played out a thrilling five-set match in which he came from two sets behind to beat Dino Prizmic.
The Brazilian is widely regarded as one of the most promising prosects on the men's tour, and Djokovic is wary that the 19-year-old will not bow under the pressure of their seismic clash.
"Look, Fonseca has been praised so much in the past couple of years," Djokovic said. "You know, I think his potential and quality as a tennis player is obvious, no doubt about it.
"He's got big Brazilian support anywhere he goes. I think he's a big-stage player. He really loves the occasion, loves to play night sessions.
"He played a great match with [Jannik] Sinner, I think, earlier this year at Indian Wells. He won against [Andrey] Rublev I think in Australia, straight sets. So he can definitely step up in the big occasion and deliver big shots, big game."
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