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Novak Djokovic advanced to the French Open last 16 with a straight-sets win over Filip Misolic, while the crowd’s attention was split by PSG’s Champions League triumph.
Novak Djokovic eased past Austria’s Filip Misolic in straight sets on Saturday night to advance to the last 16 at the French Open 2025 — but the world No. 1 had to share the spotlight with Paris Saint-Germain’s historic Champions League triumph.
Playing under the lights on Court Philippe Chatrier, the 24-time Grand Slam champion dispatched the world No. 153 with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win in just over two hours. The Serbian star, seeking a record 25th major title, has now won nine sets from nine so far in the tournament.
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But the electric Parisian night wasn’t just about tennis. With PSG demolishing Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final in Munich, even the raucous French Open crowd seemed to be juggling allegiances.
"I don't know if it was good for me to get this scheduled slot, because it was interesting, the crowd was really following the (football) game," Djokovic said with a smile after his victory.
"And I could hear once they (PSG) scored, and it was way too many times that they were celebrating. I was like, 'Wow, there's a lot of goals from Paris' and 'What's going on?'."
"So now I heard it's 5-0, so it's quite a result, to be honest," he added, acknowledging the emphatic scoreline despite being a lifelong AC Milan fan.
Djokovic had joked earlier in the week about hoping to avoid the night session so he could watch the final. Although he ended up missing most of the action on the pitch, he said the atmosphere in Paris would be unforgettable.
"It's going to be quite a journey, quite an adventure (getting home)," he quipped. "But I think we are in for a long celebration and probably not much sleep tonight. So it's a fun night to be in Paris, I guess!"
99 Is Good But 100 Is Better: Djokovic
Despite the football distractions and crowd cheers unrelated to tennis, Djokovic, who secured his 99th win of his career on the Paris clay, kept his cool throughout. The umpire was even forced to remind spectators to focus on the match at hand.
"Nine out of nine sets won (in the tournament). Again, tonight, solid when I needed to be," Djokovic assessed his performance.
"But credit to Filip for really coming up with some great points, great shots and really playing courageous tennis.
"I think there's always something to improve, something to get better at, but overall, I have to be pleased with the level of tennis so far."
The 38-year-old Serbian faced just one break point — which he saved — and kept his game sharp with 33 winners to only 14 unforced errors.
Up next for Djokovic is Britain’s Cameron Norrie, ranked 81st in the world, who progressed after defeating fellow Brit Jacob Fearnley. Djokovic recently beat Norrie in Geneva en route to his 100th ATP title, extending his head-to-head dominance over the former top-10 player to 5-0.
As the city of Paris continues to celebrate PSG’s long-awaited Champions League glory, Djokovic remains firmly on track in his own historic pursuit — a 25th Grand Slam crown.
