Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, made his comeback to play at a Grand Slam tournament on Monday at the French Open. He won in straight sets.
Djokovic won his first match at a major tournament since losing the US Open final the previous year by defeating Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 in the first night session in Paris that was played to its maximum capacity.
His effort to defend the championship he won at the Australian Open in January ended in confusion and controversy when he was deported from Melbourne for refusing to be vaccinated against the measles.
“I’m happy to be back. Roland Garros is one of the biggest tournaments in the world, and the memories from last year still are fresh in my head, in my mind,” said Djokovic.
The number one player in the world, who turned 35 years old on Sunday, won eight of 18 break points against Nishioka on Court Philippe Chatrier, which is a covered court, on a day that was interrupted by rain.
“I have to be pleased overall. I always expect highest from myself, so I can always do better, but it was a very good start of the tournament”, said Djokovic.
His next opponent will either be Federico Coria of Argentina or Alex Molcan of Slovakia. Molcan is now under the tutelage of Marian Vajda, who was Djokovic’s long-time coach in the past.
Last updated on 24 May 2022 - 15:14
