Novak Djokovic began his latest bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title with a commanding win over Mackenzie McDonald
The former world number one ended his wait for a 100th ATP singles title in Geneva last week and maintained his recent upturn in form with a 6-3 6-3 win over the 98th-ranked American.
Djokovic - who turned 38 last week - has now won all 21 of the first-round matches he has played at Roland Garros.
Sixth seed Djokovic will next play the winner of the all-French match between Corentin Moutet and Clement Tabur.
Djokovic arrived in Geneva without a win on clay in 2025, having suffered first-round exits in both Monte Carlo and Madrid.
But with his wait for a 100th Tour-level title finally over - one which had gone on since he completed the career 'Golden Slam' at the Paris Olympics last summer - the Serb will feel he is beginning to gain real momentum on this surface.
The one-sided victory over McDonald, completed two minutes short of the two-hour mark, was his fifth successive win following a run of three straight losses.
After that unfamiliar slump in results, Djokovic took the decision to end his six-month partnership with coach and former rival Andy Murray, who he said joked this week that he was winning tournaments now he had "a proper coach".
Asked about his last-minute decision to compete in Geneva, Djokovic said: "I think it was a good move, to be honest, because I was struggling a little bit with [my] confidence level, doubting my game a bit.
"It was good that I got four matches under my belt, won a title.
"Coming into Roland Garros, it feels different than compared to the feeling I had three weeks ago.
"Let's see how far I can go, but I have a good feeling for now."
The former world number one ended his wait for a 100th ATP singles title in Geneva last week and maintained his recent upturn in form with a 6-3 6-3 win over the 98th-ranked American.
Djokovic - who turned 38 last week - has now won all 21 of the first-round matches he has played at Roland Garros.
Sixth seed Djokovic will next play the winner of the all-French match between Corentin Moutet and Clement Tabur.
Djokovic arrived in Geneva without a win on clay in 2025, having suffered first-round exits in both Monte Carlo and Madrid.
But with his wait for a 100th Tour-level title finally over - one which had gone on since he completed the career 'Golden Slam' at the Paris Olympics last summer - the Serb will feel he is beginning to gain real momentum on this surface.
The one-sided victory over McDonald, completed two minutes short of the two-hour mark, was his fifth successive win following a run of three straight losses.
After that unfamiliar slump in results, Djokovic took the decision to end his six-month partnership with coach and former rival Andy Murray, who he said joked this week that he was winning tournaments now he had "a proper coach".
Asked about his last-minute decision to compete in Geneva, Djokovic said: "I think it was a good move, to be honest, because I was struggling a little bit with [my] confidence level, doubting my game a bit.
"It was good that I got four matches under my belt, won a title.
"Coming into Roland Garros, it feels different than compared to the feeling I had three weeks ago.
"Let's see how far I can go, but I have a good feeling for now."
