Djokovic back into the action after medical timeout

New York Times

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Recap all the action from Roland Garros as the second round concluded with Jack Draper defeating Gaël Monfils in a classic four-set battle in Paris Getty Images
Jack Draper (5) came out on top against popular French veteran Gaël Monfils in a wonderfully entertaining encounter to conclude the second round on Day 5 of the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on Thursday.
Draper dug deep to overcome crowd-pleasing, mercurial 38-year-old showman Monfils 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in front of a vibrant crowd of around 15,000 on Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris.
U.S. stars Coco Gauff (2), Jessica Pegula (3), Madison Keys (7) won; Jannik Sinner (1), Novak Djokovic (6), Alex Zverev (3) progressed too. Watch: TNT, truTV (U.S.); TNT (UK); Contact: [e-mail]
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French Open recap: Chaos, comebacks, crowds and curious scheduling at Roland Garros Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Getty Images
A brief pause in proceedings on Suzanne-Lenglen as Novak Djokovic has a medical timeout.
He's struggling with blisters and appears to be in not insignificant pain.
Back into the action now against Corentin Moutet, but Djokovic's gait is still a little awkward and his feet still seem sensitive.
Moutet trails by two sets, remember, and is 3-2 up on serve in the third. 30-all on his opponent's serve. Is the game and the set he can turn it around?
All over in the mixed doubles today.
Evan King and Taylor Townsend, the Americans, thrashed Ponchet/Jacq 6-0, 6-2, with Skupski/Krawczyk safely through against Krawietz/Babos too, 2-6, 6-3, 10-4.
Other results: Olmos/Glasspool beat Perez/Cash 7-6(2), 6-4
Heliovaara/Danilina (6) beat Gillé/Hunter 6-3, 6-4
Arevalo/Zhang (2) beat Belgraver/Sanchez 6-2, 6-4
Venus/Routliffe (5) beat Salisbury/Mihailova 7-5, 6-3
Top seeds Kichenok/Pavic, Rajeev Ram and Katerina Siniakova (8), and Americans Melichar-Martinez/Harrison in action tomorrow.
It's felt as though Tsitsipas has been searching for his tennis identity ever since Carlos Alcaraz thrashed him at the 2022 French Open.
'I do need a bit more of that Tsitsipas in my game. I'm trying to reinvent myself with that fearlessness,' he told The Athletic a month after being beaten 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(5) by a 19-year-old Alcaraz, referring to the early part of his career.
Being pummelled by the next big thing in men's tennis, having held and then lost that title himself, hurt Tsitsipas. As he approaches his 27th birthday in August, it makes sense for Tsitsipas to try something different.
He's worked with Australian Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis before, but bringing on a coach of Ivanišević's stature feels like a significant shakeup. Ivanišević too will relish this opportunity, after a very successful but at times volatile partnership with Djokovic.
Tsitsipas will be desperate for a similar uptick in his fortunes. He has the talent to climb back into the world's top 10 — he was ranked as high as No. 3 in 2021 — but his backhand has long hamstrung him away from clay, particularly when returning serve.
If Ivanišević can tighten some of the aspects where Tsitsipas has been struggling, and help with the mental side of how to go from nearly man to champion, then men's tennis could have one of its most exciting players back on song. Getty Images
Two-time Grand Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas has hired former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanišević as his new coach.
Ivanišević, 53, will join Tsitsipas' team from the start of the Halle Open in Germany, for a trial period. Tsitsipas' father Apostolos, who has been in his box at recent events, will not be part of his coaching team at least initially, according to Greek outlet SDNA.
A representative for Ivanišević confirmed this element of the partnership to The Athletic , and said that Ivanišević will work full-time with Tsitsipas for a substantial number of weeks per year.
Ivanišević believes Tsitsipas should be in the world's top 10 and has always got on well with him when their paths have crossed on tour. Tsitsipas later confirmed the 'new coaching partnership' on social media.
Tsitsipas, who will leave the the world's top 20 for the first time since August 2018 when the rankings update a week on Monday, has had a difficult couple of years and lost in the French Open second round against Italian qualifier Matteo Gigante Wednesday.
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Stefanos Tsitsipas hires Goran Ivanisevic, Novak Djokovic's former coach Getty Images
And he does take it, with aplomb!
Moutet has battled hard but now will need to win in five sets if he is to progress. Against a man of Djokovic's skill, that will be nigh on impossible.
For all Moutet's talent and wonderful shot-making at times, he trails 3-6, 2-6.
He trudges off for a break and to search forlornly for some inspiration. Getty Images
Wears his heart on his sleeve, Corentin Moutet.
So his frustration is clear as Djokovic rips a fantastic cross-court backhand winner past him to take three set points in the second set.
But Moutet has fought back to deuce! A drop shot, a chip to the back of the court, Djokovic just about kept it in and Moutet could have just volleyed it away easily for deuce.
Instead, he manufactured a cheeky 'tweener' (between-the-legs shot) which brought a grin to both men's faces despite the serious juncture of the match.
Djokovic advantage, his fourth set point of the game...
American Ethan Quinn is trailing Alexander Shevchenko.
Quinn took the first set 6-4 but his opponent won the next two, 6-4, 7-6(5).
Shevchenko 6-5 up on serve in the fourth too. Could be another tiebreaker incoming...
And if Quinn is to win, it's gonna have to be in five. Can he make like Hercules and go the distance?
American Alycia Parks trails Elsa Jacquemot 3-0 in the first set on Court 7 with the French favorite serving for 4-0 and the double break. Getty Images
Corentin Moutet is struggling hard against Novak Djokovic here on Suzanne-Lenglen.
Not to stereotype all Frenchmen, but Moutet is a classic talented but mercurial player heavy on the self-criticism.
Broken by Djokovic in the second set after losing the first 3-6, Moutet was on the verge of conceding a second break in a row and losing four games on the spin, shouting a swear word in French at himself, but then...
Point of the match, maybe. A drop shot to draw Djokovic in and then a gorgeously carved backhand winner cross-court which drew a wry smile and a sporting thumbs-up from the Serb.
But he errs and it's the third break point of the game for Djokovic... who goes long himself! Now the favorite screams in annoyance. Flamboyant aerial volley from Moutet after a loopy return, superb angled volley at the net to take the game!
Moutet trails 2-3 in the second. Djokovic still a break up. Getty Images
Lots of big names and big matches still to be played today.
In the men's singles, Jack Draper (5) vs Gael Monfils should be a cracker.
While in the women's, Americans Sofia Kenin (31) and Alycia Parks face Victoria Azarenka and Elsa Jacquemot respectively.
Plus the conclusion to this Novak Djokovic match! Getty Images
Cameron Norrie has leapt into the third round, beating Federico Gomez 7-6(7), 6-2, 6-1 on Court 13.
He'll play the winner of fellow Brit Jacob Fearnley's match with Frenchman Ugo Humbert (22), which starts in the next 15 minutes or so. Getty Images
Novak Djokovic with a solid start to his second-round match with Corentin Moutet, the bearded Frenchman in all-white.
He's taken the first set 6-3 and we're at deuce in the first game of the second. Getty Images
Yep, there it is!
Madison Keys, Grand Slam champion, powers past Katie Boulter with an impressive display of hitting.
6-1, 6-3 in the end.
Keys will face the winner of fellow American Sofia Kenin (31) and Victoria Azarenka in the third round. Those two get underway in around half an hour. Getty Images
Katie Boulter just about battled through a long, arduous game to go 5-2 down in the second set against Madison Keys.
Keys (7) to serve for the match. But Boulter, liberated by the apparent endgame, has let loose so far in this game and takes break point at 15-40 with a glorious drop shot.
Keys floats it long and it's Boulter's first break of serve in the whole match! She now trails 5-3 and is serving to make it 5-4, though even if she holds Keys can serve for the match again.
Boulter's partner, Australian Alex de Minaur (9), whose tournament ended today against Alexander Bublik, applauds in the stands (with the grey cap above) on Philippe-Chatrier. Getty Images
In the singles, Madison Keys is basically on the brink of winning against Katie Boulter (more on her next).
Novak Djokovic is a game from the first set against Frenchman Corentin Moutet as well.
The bakery is open for Evan King and Taylor Townsend, who have just taken the first set 6-0 in the mixed doubles against Jessika Ponchet and Gregoire Jacq.
The French pair only won nine points in the entire set. Ouch. Americans Baptiste/Krueger aren't doing so well in the women's doubles and trail Andreeva/Shnaider (4) by a set, 3-6, 0-1 on serve in the second.
Fair play to Arthur Fils. Pumped up after his dramatic five-set win against Jaume Munar earlier.
I'd rip my top off if my abs looked like that, too.
(Spoiler alert: they don't). Getty Images
Brit Cam Norrie one set from the third round.
On Court 13, the first set was a tight tiebreak at 7-6(7) but the second was easier at 6-2.
On serve at 0-1 in what could be the final set of Federico Gomez' tournament and what Norrie will hope will be his final one today. Getty Images
Brit Katie Boulter, with the flying hair, is a set down against American Madison Keys, the seventh seed.
Keys rattled through it 6-1 and is a break up in the second at 2-0, too, and just gave up a break point for a double break of serve.
Long way back for Boulter.