Novak Djokovic kept his pursuit of tennis history alive on Wednesday, advancing past Frenchman Valentin Royer in the second round of Roland Garros after a demanding four-set contest that underscored both the Serbian’s resilience and the mounting physical toll of a career spanning more than two decades.
The world number three, who underwent knee surgery earlier this year, dropped the second set before regrouping to close out the match in front of an expectant Parisian crowd. The 37-year-old is chasing a 25th Grand Slam title, a number that would extend a record he already holds outright.
The result will be closely watched in Kenya, where tennis is a growing sport backed by a government push to diversify the country’s international athletic footprint beyond its traditional strongholds in middle- and long-distance running. The Tennis Kenya federation has in recent years pointed to Djokovic’s late-career durability as a model for developing local professionals who can compete deep into their thirties.
Kenyan sports broadcasters note that Roland Garros draws some of the strongest viewership figures of any tennis tournament on the continent, partly because the clay surface rewards endurance and tactical discipline — qualities that resonate with audiences familiar with watching Kenyan runners grind through gruelling races.
Djokovic will next face a third-round opponent yet to be confirmed, but the draw appears relatively favourable through to the quarterfinals. His team has managed his schedule carefully this season, skipping several hardcourt events to protect his surgically repaired joint ahead of the Parisian clay, which is widely regarded as the most physically demanding surface in the Grand Slam calendar.
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