Djokovic to appear in record 82nd Grand Slam at the French Open with barely any match play

Djokovic to appear in record 82nd Grand Slam at the French Open with barely any match play

PARIS: Novak Djokovic will set a record the moment he steps on court for his opening match at the French Open against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the night session on Sunday.

Two days after his 39th birthday, Djokovic will play a men’s record 82nd Grand Slam tournament — one more than Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez.

For all his experience, though — he shares the record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles with Margaret Court — Djokovic comes to Roland Garros with hardly any match preparation.

Djokovic lost to Croatian qualifier Dino Prižmić at the Italian Open in his only match on clay this year — after two months out due to a right shoulder injury.