How Novak Djokovic’s French Open 2025 draw has fallen apart after the second round

Novak Djokovic won his second round match against Corentin Moutet of France 6-3 6-2 7-6 (1) last Thursday, May 29. Prior to that, he had beaten Mackenzie McDonald of the United States in straight sets in the first round.

The 38-year-old Serb, who has won the French Open thrice and is chasing his 25th Grand Slam, has benefitted from a few seeded players, who were drawn to face him bowing out of the tournament. Let us now see how his draw has fallen apart at this year’s French Open.

Djokovic benefitting from a few upsets in the first two rounds of French Open 2025

Djokovic will face Filip Misolic of Austria in the second round on Saturday, May 31. Misolic upset 27th seed Denis Shapovalov in a thrilling five-setter in the second round, thus eliminating a tough prospective opponent from Djokovic’s path. The Austrian is ranked 153rd in the world and has done really well to reach the third round.

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Misolic is a potentially less threatening player potentially than Shapovalov and that will give Djokovic some breathing space. Moreover, should the Serb go on to win that match, he will not have to face the 11th seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia.

Djokovic was drawn to face Medvedev in the round of 16. The Russian is usually not at his best on clay, but could have proven to be a formidable foe with his big-match experience. Incidentally, Medvedev was the player who beat Djokovic in straight sets in the US Open final in 2021.

Cameron Norrie of Great Britain ousted Medvedev in a pulsating five-setter in the first round a few days back. Norrie's upset win eliminated yet another difficult opponent from Djokovic's quarter of the draw.

Norrie will face his compatriot Jacob Fearnley in the third round and will go on to face Djokovic in the round of 16 should both of them win their respective matches. However, Djokovic has won all his five matches with Norrie so far and will fancy his chances against the Brit.

The draw will get tough from quarterfinal onwards

Djokovic is drawn to face Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in his last three matches of the tournament. Each of those three matches is potentially very tough for him. However, that is something to be expected and one should not think of having easy opponents in the latter stages of a Grand Slam.

With players like Sinner and Alcaraz around, winning his 25th Grand Slam title will not be easy for Djokovic. However, it has to be accepted that he has already benefitted considerably from the upsets in the first and second rounds at French Open this year.

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About the author

Subhadeep Roy

Subhadeep, an adept tennis journalist at Sportskeeda, has been writing about the sport for seven years. He is known for his exclusive match reviews and opinion pieces, utilizing his MBA degree to tackle them effectively with his problem-solving abilities.

Subhadeep lives and breathes tennis. He watches matches regularly and engages in social media platforms to stay on top of the latest happenings. As a writer, he brings the fan's perspective to his pieces, ensuring his readers enjoy an exceptional experience every time.

Growing up, he idolized Boris Becker, but he now firmly believes Novak Djokovic stands alone as the 'Greatest of all Time', especially considering the 24-time Grand Slam champion's incredible stats. One thing that still puzzles Subhadeep, however, is how Becker's Wimbledon tally might have reached five if not for Pete Sampras.

Speaking of the All England Club, the British Major holds a special place in his heart as he admires its blend of tradition and grass-court excellence. When not working for Sportskeeda, Subhadeep delves into the other "love of his life": football, and enjoys contributing his insights to different websites dedicated to the sport.

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