Novak Djokovic hits out at Paris crowd after boos during tense Roland Garros clash

Novak Djokovic hit out at sections of the Roland Garros crowd after being repeatedly booed during his second-round clash against Frenchman Valentin Royer, accusing the Paris spectators of showing “no respect” throughout the match. The Serbian eventually battled past the local favourite in four sets to reach the third round of the French Open.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion defeated Royer 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-3 in a gruelling contest that lasted nearly three hours and 45 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier. But while Djokovic secured his place in the next round, the atmosphere inside the stadium remained tense for most of the evening.

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Speaking after the match, Djokovic admitted he hoped he would avoid facing more French players for the remainder of the tournament because of the crowd behaviour.

“I hope I won’t play any more French players for the rest of the tournament,” Djokovic said after the win.

The tension between Djokovic and the crowd escalated midway through the match when the Serbian sarcastically applauded the spectators after being booed during points. The chair umpire eventually stepped in and appealed for calm inside the stadium.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please have some respect for both players,” the umpire announced.

Djokovic immediately responded by saying: “They have no respect. No respect.”

The atmosphere remained heated for most of the evening as Royer, ranked 74 in the world, continued pushing the Serbian far harder than many expected heading into the clash.

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The match itself turned into a much tougher battle than Djokovic would have ideally wanted.

Playing under intense Paris heat, with temperatures once again rising above 32 degrees, the 39-year-old repeatedly used ice packs around his neck and head during changeovers to stay cool.

Royer, who had won only one tour-level match before arriving at Roland Garros this year, produced the best performance of his young career and managed to frustrate Djokovic for long spells, especially after stealing the third-set tiebreak.

Djokovic even missed an earlier opportunity to finish the match during that tiebreak when he pushed a backhand long before eventually needing four more match points in the fourth set to finally close things out.

One of the biggest moments of the night came early in the fourth set when Djokovic produced a stunning forehand winner around the net post from well outside the court. After winning the point, the Serbian waved his arms toward the crowd in celebration, almost inviting more noise from the Paris spectators.

When the match finally ended, Djokovic briefly stumbled on the clay before performing his trademark violin celebration with his racquet.

The victory extended Djokovic’s incredible record against French players at Roland Garros to 14-0 and also marked his 21st consecutive appearance in the third round at the French Open, equalling Roger Federer’s Open Era record for most straight third-round appearances at a single Grand Slam.

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Djokovic will now face one of the fastest-rising young stars in tennis, 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca, in what could become one of the headline clashes of the tournament so far.

Fonseca reached the third round after producing a stunning comeback win against Dino Prizmic, recovering from two sets down to win 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.

The Serbian arrived in Paris carrying several fitness and form concerns after losing his only clay-court match before Roland Garros following a lengthy layoff caused by a shoulder injury. However, after back-to-back wins over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Royer, Djokovic increasingly looks like a player slowly rediscovering rhythm at the perfect stage of the tournament.

And despite the boos ringing around Court Philippe-Chatrier once again, the 39-year-old remains firmly in the hunt for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.