Read more: Novak Djokovic: If healthy, “I always have that belief” to challenge for major titles
Djokovic needed all the wiles of a wolf to top Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Paris on Sunday night in four sets in his opening round. Playing just his second match of the clay season, Djokovic did not break the Frenchman’s serve for almost the entirety of two full sets, before converting his 10th opportunity in the second set on the way to a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 triumph,
Afterwards, Djokovic said he was “very honored” to wear the piece as he detailed the “little bit of inspiration” behind it, and told reporters that the test was “just what the doctor ordered.”
“Obviously playing a French player, center court at Roland Garros is never so easy. The crowd gets into it and then you feel the pressure even more,” Djokovic said after the two hour, 51-minute encounter. “But all in all it was a good match to be part of: Three hours, just what the doctor ordered at age 39.”
