Draw disaster: Novak Djokovic’s dream of a 25th Grand Slam faces an uphill battle

How the 2026 Roland Garros draw shapes up for Djokovic

Djokovic would have preferred an easier start in Paris, but he’ll open against big server Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

He will then be faced with either Valentin Royer or a qualifier in round two, and will likely have another tough test in round three.

Potential third-round opponents include Joao Fonseca and Dino Prizmic, who already got the better of Djokovic at the Italian Open earlier this year.

Beyond that, things only get tougher. The fourth round could see him up against Casper Ruud, a two-time finalist at Roland Garros.

The seedings then put Alex de Minaur in his path, before a projected semi-final clash with Alexander Zverev.

The one bit of good news is that Sinner is on the opposite side of the draw, so they couldn’t meet until the final. That leaves open the possibility of back-to-back Grand Slam finals between them.

Novak Djokovic’s preparations for Roland Garros

Djokovic made it to the semifinals in Paris last year, losing just one set along the way.

Back then, his build-up had been stronger, having won a clay title in Geneva before heading to the French capital.

This year looks very different. Djokovic has played just one match on clay so far, and that was at the Italian Open.

He lost to Prizmic in Rome’s opening round and didn’t return to Geneva to defend his title. If his draw plays out as expected, he may not have much time to find his rhythm during the tournament.