The second round of the French Open begins on Wednesday and three-time champion Novak Djokovic is in action against home hopeful Valentin Royer.
Djokovic won the last of his three French Open titles in 2023, the same year he claimed the last of his 23 Grand Slam titles.
However, the third seed is among the contenders for the title this year, with defending champion Carlos Alvarez missing and Jannik Sinner on the other side of the draw.
The Serbian star made a shaky start to his title bid by dropping the first set against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard before going on to claim victory and he now faces another home hope in world number 71 Royer, who has reached the second round in Paris for the first time.
Valentin Royer v Novak Djokovic Tips Summary
Best Bet - Novak Djokovic to win and both players to win a set @ 5/4
Alternative Bet - Valentin Royer 5+ double faults @ 3/1
Bet Builder - Valentin Royer to win a set, Novak Djokovic to win match, Valentin Royer 3+ double faults, 5+ double faults combined & Novak Djokovic 10+ aces @ 12/1
Valentin Royer v Novak Djokovic Prediction
Best Bet: Novak Djokovic to win and both players to win a set @ 5/4
Djokovic may not be the unstoppable force he once was, but the veteran has continued to excel in the Grand Slam events and he's reached at least the third round in every major he has contested since 2017.
Djokovic comes into this match as the clear favourite at 1/12, with Royer a 7/1 underdog, and he should win this fairly comfortably. Royer is ranked as the world number 71 and his highest ever ranking is 54.
Djokovic has a career win-rate of over 90% against players ranked outside the top 50 and over the last 12 months that figure stands at 87%, so he is exceptional at not being on the wrong end of this level of upset.
It could be worth backing Royer to win a set in defeat, however, as Djokovic has found consistency an issue in recent matches and he’s lost at least one set in each of his last seven matches since the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
Djokovic has campaigned lightly this year due to a shoulder injury, so he may play himself into form over the first few rounds of the French Open, whereas Royer looks like a player who is keen to make an impact.
The 24-year-old has reached the second round of his home Slam for the first time in his second appearances and he looked sharp against qualifier Hugo Dellien in the first round.
An upset looks highly unlikely, but Royer can at least give the French crowd something to cheer about by picking up a set.
Alternative Bet: Valentin Royer 5+ double faults @ 3/1
Royer only had one double fault in the first round, but that match became a fairly routine assignment where he was never behind, nor was he ever behind in a set.
Djokovic will of course provide a very different test and this is also the Frenchman's first match against the Serb, one of the greatest returners in the game's history.
The way Djokovic plays puts so much pressure on his opponents' service games that he forces mistakes.
In Royer's defeat to Denis Shapovalov at the US Open last year he had a mammoth 10 double faults, so he is susceptible to losing his service rhythm for a sustained period.
If Djokovic is able to put the pressure on, five or more seems a reasonable total, even if Royer is generally fairly solid behind his first serve.
Valentin Royer v Novak Djokovic Bet Builder Tip
Valentin Royer to win a set
Novak Djokovic to win match
Valentin Royer 3+ double faults
5+ double faults combined
Novak Djokovic 10+ Aces
Pays 12/1
Djokovic should win fairly comfortably, but Royer can at least win at set, as the three-time champion has dropped at least one set in all of his matches since the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
Three or more double faults for Royer looks a solid single bet and that has been included in this bet builder, alongside at least five in total combined between both players - covering Royer adding more to that total and at least two from Djokovic, who is averaging around 2.5 per-match in 2026.
Djokovic can hit at least 10 aces as he's averaging 5.7 per-match in 2026 and in Grand Slams his levels are a lot higher.
He had 12 in his first-round win over Mpetshi Perricard and has reached double figures in four of his six completed matches at Grand Slams this year.
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Key Match Stats
Novak Djokovic has an 86% career win record at the French Open
Djokovic has reached the quarter-finals of the French Open in every year since 2010
Valentin Royer has a 0-3 record against players ranked in the ATP top 10
Djokovic has lost at least one set in seven consecutive matches
Clay is Royer's strongest surface, seven of his 10 Challenger and ITF titles have been won this surface
Read more tennis betting tips and predictions on site.
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.
