Valentin Royer Takes Huge Swipe at Novak Djokovic’s Fitness Claims at Roland Garros

Valentin Royer has accused Novak Djokovic of playing mind games after losing to the Serbian legend in the second round of the French Open. Djokovic notched up his 103rd win at the Roland Garros after a difficult battle against Royer, which lasted for more than three and 30 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Djokovic entered the Roland Garros having played just one match on clay this year. He missed more than six weeks on tour due to injury following March’s Indian Wells Open campaign. His physicality has certainly been out to the rest by two home favorites across his opening two rounds in Paris.

First, he had to come from behind to beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Monday (May 25) before facing Royer on Wednesday (May 27). Royer proved to be more difficult than Perricard as he found his rhythm in the third set of the match. Earlier, Djokovic had breezed easily in the first two sets against Royer but began to struggle physically.

On one occasion during the match, he complained about the noise the children were making in the stands. At another point, Djokovic began to complain of physical pain, holding his back and slowing the pace of the match. However, the 39-year-old lost the third set but reacted quickly in the fourth.

Djokovic found a way to break the Frenchman twice in the fourth set, winning the match 6-3, 6-2, 6(7)-7, 6-3. The Serbian legend is now on a 30-match winning streak against French players on tour. Speaking after the match, Royer accused Djokovic of playing mind games during their match, stressing that he always does that to see how his opponents react:

But hey, that’s Novak. He always does that to see how his opponent reacts. But it didn’t affect me; I tried to stick to my game plan, because he’s an exceptional player. Even if he complains about his back, physical pain, or whatever, he sprints and goes for every point. In the first few games of the match, it was impressive. After that, I got into it and told myself I was playing a player like any other, with a high level and an exceptional resume.

Royer about Djokovic:

"I saw him complaining a bit and stretching. Typical Novak. He does that to try and see how the opponent will react."

😅 pic.twitter.com/TRVQNAWGhM

— Corvath Draemir (@Archaicmind3000) May 27, 2026

Royer, who is World No.75, was seeking to earn a big run at the French Open, but he couldn’t get past Djokovic. The French crowd had hoped for a fight, but Royer wasn’t at his best. Arthur Fils was regarded as the only French hope of winning the men’s singles at Roland Garros, but he suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from the event.

Novak Djokovic disagrees with a journalist after second-round win at the French Open

Ahead of the French Open, there were debates that Novak Djokovic just needed more matches on clay to find his game rhythm at the French Open. Some analysts pointed out that he will have to win his first three matches at Roland Garros to get into his best physical shape and build confidence on the court.

During his press conference, a journalist asked about his physical state, but in the middle of the question, he suggested that the match against Valentin Royer was a reasonably long match on the court. The Serbian legend then lashed out at the reporter for calling his match reasonably long, as he believes that a three-and-a-half-hour tie is actually long and exhausting:

I don’t know if I’m liking or agreeing with your comment that it’s like reasonably long. When you play a three and a half hour match on clay, it’s long and very exhausting. Uh at least in my opinion. 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.

Djokovic will take on Joao Fonseca in the third round of the French Open. It will be their first meeting on tour in their careers. Fonseca has already lost to several top players this season, including Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Alexander Zverev.

Also Read: Elena Rybakina Addresses Stefano Vukov’s Mid-Match Exit After Roland Garros Upset