Wherever Novak Djokovic goes, a crowd is sure to follow.

From standing-room only practises to throngs of fans asking for autographs as he makes his way through the grounds at Roland Garros, the defending champion has been a top draw in Paris for more than 15 years. But after COVID restrictions limited attendance to 1,000 spectators daily for the 2020 event and peaked at 8,500 for last year’s men’s singles final, packed crowds are a welcome sight for the top seed.

“It’s great to see the crowd back [and] the full capacity on all courts. Lots of young people, lots of kids, this is something that I really love to see,” said Djokovic. “It always gives you energy. For me at this stage of my career, a crowd and this energy of people coming to watch me play is one of the biggest reasons why I keep on competing [and] playing professional tennis.

“I think the improvements and facilities in the last few years have been great… It’s great that the tournament is recognising the importance of investing back in the facilities and trying to improve the experience for everyone.”

Djokovic has always been energised by a vocal audience and that has reflected in his performances so far this fortnight. The Serbian is through to the third round without dropping a set, scoring a convincing 6-2, 6-3, 7-6(4) victory over Alex Molcan to reach this juncture of the tournament for the 17th consecutive year.

“I’m pleased with the way I’m feeling on the court [and] the way I’ve been striking the ball,” said Djokovic. “I think today was also under challenging conditions and playing against a specialist on clay, someone that is a tricky opponent and coming off from the [Lyon] final last week. It was never going to be an easy match, but I thought I performed very well.”

The Serbian’s path to defending his title won’t get any easier. A potential quarter-final with Rafael Nadal awaits, while Carlos Alcaraz or Alexander Zverev could present a challenging semi-final task.

For now, Djokovic is focussed on his third-round battle with Aljaz Bedene. He leads the Slovenian 3-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, including a win at this event in 2016.

“You are aware what’s going on with the other guys, at least in my case, and I know that everyone else is watching everybody else,” said Djokovic. “[But] that cannot be dominating most of your time and energy that you invest in a day. So you are aware, but then of course it’s really not up to you what they do. It’s what you have to do, win matches and make good results.”

Carlos Alcaraz bent on Wednesday at Roland Garros, but the 19-year-old Spaniard refused to break. 

The sixth seed saved match point in the fourth set and rallied from 0-3 in the fifth set to defeat countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-7(7), 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-4 for a place in the third round in Paris.

“I feel tired,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview, cracking a laugh. “It has been a great battle against Albert. I knew that it was going to be a great match, tough match. We fought until the last point. I’m so happy with the performance today.”

Alcaraz was the talk of the tennis world leading into the clay-court major, having defeated Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev en route to his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Madrid. But Ramos-Vinolas had the teen one point from a shocking early exit. 

For much of the match, Alcaraz was frustrated by his 34-year-old left-handed opponent and struggled to find solutions, which has been a rarity this season. The 19-year-old converted just seven of his 31 break points, putting him in a deep hole.

But while Alcaraz earned his first 29 wins of the year through astonishing skill, he claimed his 30th through sheer will. The teen triumphed after four hours and 34 minutes to earn a clash against American Sebastian Korda or Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

“I’m so happy to live this experience in front of you guys. Thank you very much!” Alcaraz told the crowd.

Alcaraz rallied from 0-3 in the fifth to move ahead by a break at 4-3. But Ramos-Vinolas, who was seeking his second win against a Top 10 opponent at a major, did not go down without a fight. Alcaraz missed a forehand into the net to allow his countryman back on serve.

But the sixth seed played what might be the defensive point of the tournament to earn another break, fending off two Ramos-Vinolas overheads before the lefty dumped a backhand volley into the net. Alcaraz raised his arms like a championship boxer as the Court Simonne-Mathieu crowd leapt to its feat, while Ramos-Vinolas threw his racquet into the terre battue in disappointment.

This time, Alcaraz did not relinquish his lead, blasting a ball into the Parisian sky after finally completing his victory. Despite 74 unforced errors contributing to his trouble, the Spaniard crushed the same number of winners compared to just 32 winners for Ramos-Vinolas.

So often Alcaraz is able to bend players to his will with his powerful groundstrokes and deft drop shots, especially on the forehand side. Few opponents this year have been able to find a way to take the teen out of his rhythm.

But Ramos-Vinolas tracked down many of his countryman’s drop shots and made him pay, while also dictating the action with his heavy forehand and lefty serve out wide in the Ad court. That helped put him in position to serve for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set, earning a match point in the game.

But Alcaraz showed no fear with his back against the wall, obliterating a 131mph overhead off the bounce for a winner to earn his second break point of the game. Ramos-Vinolas cracked on the next point when he missed a backhand into the net, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

From that moment, the free-flowing Alcaraz who has dominated the headlines this year surged to the forefront with stunning shotmaking from all areas of the court. He played a nearly flawless fourth-set tie-break to force a decider. Screams of frustration suddenly turned to roars of celebration.

That momentum came to a screeching halt when Ramos-Vinolas raced to a 3-0 lead in the fifth. But once again, despite plenty of missed opportunities, Alcaraz never gave up. The teen got back on serve with more jaw-dropping defence, sprinting from side to side and somehow sliding a backhand passing shot up the line past a stunned Ramos-Vinolas.

Alcaraz now leads the pair’s ATP Head2Head series 3-0. Ironically, the reigning Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals first broke onto the scene two years ago as a 16-year-old outside the Top 400 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in Rio de Janeiro, where he shocked Ramos-Vinolas in a three-hour, 37-minute thriller.

Spanish qualifier Bernabe Zapata Miralles recorded a career breakthrough on Wednesday at Roland Garros, upsetting No. 13 seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 for his maiden third-round showing at a Grand Slam.

Fritz acknowledged after his first-round win on Monday, a five-set victory over Argentine qualifier Santiago Rodriguez Taverna, that his Paris preparation had been hampered by a left foot injury.

”I spent two weeks in a boot up until basically last week,” said Fritz. “I flew here [last] Monday and that’s all the practice I’ve had after taking a lot of time off [and] not really doing anything.”

Although Fritz committed 30 unforced errors to just 17 winners across the final three sets, the errors often came at the end of lengthy baseline rallies where Zapata Miralles refused to miss. He drew a backhand error from the American to earn a crucial break at 4-3 in the fourth set, then fired down-the-line two forehand winners before converting his first match point with a smash after two hours and 17 minutes.

Zapata Miralles, No. 131 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, scored his first win over a Top 15 player. The 25-year-old will break into the Top 100 for the first time if he can reach the second week in Paris.

Standing between him and that goal is another American in No. 23 seed John Isner, who battled past French wild card Gregoire Barrere 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(5). Isner seeks to reach the fourth around at a major for the first time since the 2018 US Open.

Second-round singles play begins Wednesday at Roland Garros, with the men’s draw having been whittled down to 64 competitors over the course of the past three days. With the loaded top half of the tournament bracket in action on Day 4, marquee matchups are spread around the grounds in Paris.

Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev headline Court Philippe Chatrier, Novak Djokovic plays on Court Suzanne Lenglen, and Carlos Alcaraz features on Court Simon Mathieu.

In doubles action, defending champions and home favourites Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut open their campaign, as do top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

[1] Novak Djokovic (SER) vs. Alex Molcan (SLO) 

The lone previous meeting between Djokovic and Alex Molcan came in the Belgrade 2 final last May, a 6-4, 6-3 win for the Serbian in his home city. Molcan, who qualified into that Belgrade main draw, was at No. 255 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings at the time; he’s since risen to a career-high of No. 38 after reaching two more clay-court finals in Marrakech (early April) and Lyon (last week). The 24-year-old earned his first Top 10 win in Marrakech when he beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in a third-set tie-break.

The Slovakian is coached by countryman Marian Vajda, who worked with Djokovic for 15 years before the pair amicably ended their partnership following the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals. Molcan, who beat Federico Coria in four first-round sets, is also coached by Karol Beck.

Vajda was a part of Djokovic’s team for all 20 of his Grand Slam title runs and began working with the Serbian in 2006. They briefly split in 2017 but reunited in 2018. The Slovakian’s wealth of knowledge about the World No. 1 adds an intriguing subplot to this second-round matchup, with Molcan sure to lean on his new coach as he strategises for his upset bid.

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Djokovic was sharp in his Roland Garros opener Monday, overcoming a bright start from Yoshihito Nishioka to ease through in three sets. The Serbian appears to be peaking for Paris following his Rome title run. He has now won six straight matches and 13 straight sets.

“I have been feeling very well on clay in the last three, four weeks, of course,” Djokovic said after beating the Japanese. “Excited to bring out intensity on the court and compete with the guys. 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. It was nice to be back on the centre court.”

The Serbian is aiming to continue his stellar record as the top seed in Paris, a distinction he holds for the fourth straight year and eighth overall. He has never lost before the semi-finals as the top seed, including his title runs in 2016 and 2021.

It’s great to be back 😃 #RolandGarros

📸: Adam Pretty pic.twitter.com/67xrf2MuOu

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) May 24, 2022

[6] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP)

Countrymen Alcaraz and Albert Ramos-Vinolas meet on clay for the third straight year, with the sixth seed 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series. Alcaraz won a three-setter in Rio de Janeiro in 2020 (he won the Rio title this season) and took a straight-sets decision on his way to the Umag title in 2021, the first of his now five trophies on the ATP Tour. Three of the five sets they’ve played have gone to tie-breaks, with the 19-year-old winning all three.

Alcaraz brings an 11-match win streak into the second round after his Spanish trophy double in Barcelona and Madrid. Playing in his second Roland Garros, Alcaraz justified his status as a tournament favourite by racing past Juan Ignacio Londero, 6-4, 6-2, 6-0, in the opening round on Sunday.

“It was difficult at the beginning, but it’s always special to play in such a great stadium, a great court,” he said of his Chatrier debut. “I’m really happy with the performance in my first match in Philippe Chatrier, and hope to play more matches in this court.”

Alcaraz improved to 29-3 on the season with the victory, his 29 match wins trailing only Stefanos Tsitsipas this year on the ATP Tour, as shown in the chart below.

Asked what he would like to improve about his game, Alcaraz referenced wisdom from 13-time Roland Garros champ Nadal: “I always say that you have to improve every day [even] if you are the best player in the world. Not in my case,” he said. “But for example, Rafa says that he always [works to] improve every day. I would say I have to improve everything a little bit. You can improve everything every day. And I would say everything. I have to improve everything.”

The Spaniard can improve upon his 2021 third-round run with two more victories this fortnight; he reached the last 32 as a qualifier one year ago before falling to Jan-Lennard Struff in his Roland Garros debut.

Ramos-Vinolas’ best result on the European clay swing was a semi-final showing in Estoril, where he lost to eventual champion Sebastian Baez in three sets. He entered Paris on a four-match losing skid but rebounded to defeat Thanasi Kokkinakis in four sets on Monday. The 34-year-old, who reached a career-high of No. 17 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in 2017, won his fourth tour-level title in February in Cordoba. All four of his titles have come on clay (Bastad 2016, Gstaad 2019, Estoril 2021).

[5] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Corentin Moutet (FRA)

Corentin Moutet defeated one former Roland Garros champion to earn a chance to play another — the tournament’s ultimate legend in Nadal. The French wild card beat 2015 champ Stan Wawrinka in four sets on Monday and will now seek to shock the fifth seed on Chatrier.

“Rafa, it’s my dream,” Moutet said of the all-lefty matchup. “He’s no longer my idol because now I’m on the Tour, but I started playing tennis while watching him. I remember his first Grand Slam. I even imitated him when I was a kid.

“[In 2019], I played Juan Ignacio Londero [at Roland Garros] to potentially play Nadal in the next round, but I missed that occasion, so I was always thinking about that. it’s a great pleasure to be able to play him on centre court or any other court.” 

Nadal breezed past Aussie Jordan Thompson on Monday, looking physically strong after his chronic foot injury hampered his movement in a Rome defeat against Denis Shapovalov. 

“It is a good start, of course, straight sets,” he said after the match. “That’s it. I played good for a while. Then [there are] things that I could do better and I need to do better. But it is a positive start, and that’s given me a chance to have one more day of practice tomorrow and then another chance after tomorrow.”

The Spaniard pointed to his movement and the speed of his forehand as particular areas for improvement. His match against Moutet will be just his seventh clay-court contest this season, as he missed the start of the European swing with a rib fracture before compiling a 3-2 record at the ATP Masters 1000s in Madrid and Rome.

Float like a butterfly 🦋#RolandGarros | @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/PocMlMayr5

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 23, 2022

Best Of The Rest

Third seed Alexander Zverev has a tough second-round matchup against Argentina’s Sebastian Baez, who enters with a career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of No. 36. Baez won his first tour-level title in Estoril on 1 May and got past Dusan Lajovic in four sets on Monday. But Zverev will also bring great form onto Chatrier, having reached one final and two additional semi-finals in the three recent clay ATP Masters 1000s. The German beat Baez in straight sets two weeks ago in Rome and cruised past Austria’s Sebastian Ofner in Paris on Sunday.

Two more Top 10 seeds will go to work on the outer courts Wednesday. Ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime is set to face Argentine qualifier Camilo Ugo Carabelli on Court 7, while 10th seed Cameron Norrie faces Australian qualifier Jason Kubler on Court 6.

Auger-Aliassime earned his first win in three Roland Garros main-draw attempts by coming back from two sets down against Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas on Sunday. The Canadian seeks to continue his run of reaching at least the quarter-finals in each of the past three Grand Slams.

Norrie won three straight three-setters to win the Lyon title on Saturday — his fourth tour-level title and second of 2022 — then eased into the Roland Garros second round with a straight-sets win over France’s Manuel Guinard.

In doubles action, Herbert/Mahut begin their title defense against the Belgian pairing of Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen, with that matchup closing play on Court 9. Top seeds Ram/Salisbury face Marcos Giron and Soonwoo Kwon in the Court 12 nightcap, while Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies return as a duo for the first time since winning back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020 with an opening match against Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara. The Germans could not defend their title last season and Mies was absent with a knee injury. Krawietz reached the 2021 quarter-finals with Horia Tecau.

Gilles Simon is not ready to bid adieu to Roland Garros just yet. The Frenchman, playing in his farewell Roland Garros ahead of his impending retirement at season’s end, rode a wave of crowd support on Court Simonne-Mathieu to thwart a comeback attempt from 16th seed Pablo Carreno Busta.

The 37-year-old escaped with a 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 1-6, 6-4 victory after 1 a.m., winning the final four games of the nearly four-hour contest to thrill the late-night Paris crowd. Carreno Busta looked set to repeat the Court Philippe Chatrier heroics of Stefanos Tsitsipas with a comeback from two sets down, but could not get over the line despite leading 4-2 in the fifth after breaking serve to open the decider.

“It was a crazy match, an unexpected win,” Simon said. “When you’re on clay, it’s super long, and Pablo is a super solid player. You know until the end it’s going to be difficult, and unfortunately I was dropping a bit physically… In the end I managed to turn this one and it was really unexpected.

“It’s the most unexpected win I could have,” Simon said. “It was really hard for me to see myself as a winner today when I was just warming up and everything. I knew it would be really hard… When the match starts to turn crazy like this, it means you just have two players on the same level trying to give everything to win. Sometimes you win it and sometimes you lose it.”

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The victory, Simon’s first at his home Grand Slam since 2019, moves the Frenchman to within one victory of his 500th win. His lifetime tour-level record now stands at 499-390, including his 2-4 mark this season. The result is a dramatic contrast to his last Grand Slam outing, a first-round qualifying loss at the Australian Open in January.

The former World No. 6 will aim for the 500-wins milestone against Steve Johnson in the second round, after the American defeated Jiri Vesely earlier on Tuesday, 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-2. 

Simon’s best Roland Garros results came in 2011, 2013 and 2015, when he reached the fourth round. A 14-time tour-level titlist, he has reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open (2009) and Wimbledon (2015) once each and the fourth round at the US Open twice (2011, 2014).