Novak Djokovic gets his bid to win a fourth French Open title underway on Sunday, when he faces home favourite Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
The Serbian star is also looking for a record 25th Grand Slam title, but it would be his first since his victory at the 2023 US Open.
And the veteran third seed has been handed a tough opening test in Paris, with Djokovic facing the big-serving Frenchman Mpetshi Perricard.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard v Novak Djokovic Tips Summary
Best Bet - Novak Djokovic to win 3-1 @ 21/10
Alternative Bet - First Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard service game: 30-0 @ 6/5
Bet Builder - Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 10+ aces, Novak Djokovic to win & Total Sets - 4 @ 3/1
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard v Novak Djokovic Prediction
Best Bet: Novak Djokovic to win 3-1 @ 21/10
These two players have never previously faced each other, which could make things tricky early on for Djokovic trying to work out how to deal with returning a monster serve.
Mpetshi Perricard is now commonly felt to be the quickest server on Tour, with the Frenchman recording 153 miles per hour at last year's Wimbledon.
Although the clay courts of Paris will not allow him to reach those speeds, the 22-year-old will still provide a stern test for his veteran opponent.
At 39 Djokovic appears to be on the brink of calling time on his illustrious career, but he is still determined to add another one of the Big Four titles to an incredible CV.
The three-time French Open winner showed he can still mix it with the best when reaching the Australian Open final earlier this year.
Even without the injured Carlos Alcaraz, the clay court Slam looks an even tougher assignment with longer rallies and a more physical challenge.
It will be later in the tournament when those issues really start to kick in, so it would be a major surprise to see Djokovic fail to make it to the quarter-finals.
In three appearances at his home Slam, Mpetshi Perricard - who was seeded 31st last year - has yet to make it past the second round.
Alternative Bet: First Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard service game: 30-0 @ 6/5
As you might expect, the ATP Tour stats highlight the threat of Mpetshi Perricard's serve poses to any opponent.
The world number 80 has won 78% of his first-serve points, while winning 88% of 1258 service games.
With the two players having never played each other before, it is likely to take Djokovic a bit of time to get used to this powerful weapon.
With the home crowd behind him and the lower-ranked player in need of a quick start, it would be no surprise to see Mpetshi Perricard respond early on.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard v Novak Djokovic Bet Builder
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 10+ aces
Novak Djokovic to win
Total Sets - 4
Pays 3/1
Mpetshi Perricard, who won his first-round game in four sets last year, has recorded 263 aces across 219 service games so far in 2026.
The man from Lyon served 30 aces in his Australian Open first-round clash with Argentina's Sebastian Baez, which he eventually lost in five sets.
You have to go back to 2006 for the last time Djokovic lost a Grand Slam first-round match and it is 17 years since he failed to reach the French Open quarter finals.
Even though he is getting towards the end of his career, he can still make the latter stages and should have too much knowhow for his younger opponent.
It's also worth noting that Djokovic reached the Australian Open final after two of his opponents pulled out through injury.
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Key Match Stats
Novak Djokovic is 16 years older than Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Djokovic, seeded three, has won 84% of his service games so far this year
The Serbian ace has won 30% of his 1st serve return points in 2026
Paul Goldstein was the last player to beat Djokovic in the first round of a Grand Slam event - 2006 Australian Open
Mpetshi Perricard has won 10 of his 13 tie-breaks this season, but is 0-2 against top-10 players in 2026
The Frenchman is ranked fifth in the ATP Tour Serve Leaders stats
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
