The French Open gets underway on Sunday with an order of play that is headlined by a night-session showdown between Novak Djokovic and France’s own Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Alexander Zverev, Joao Fonseca, Mirra Andreeva, and Marta Kostyuk are also among those taking the court on Sunday.
Here are my picks for two of the best matchups on Day 1 in Paris.
Frenchmen Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Pierre-Hugues Herbert will headline the first day of competition at Roland Garros on Sunday. Mpetshi Perricard drew Novak Djokovic in the opening round, while Herbert faces unseeded Lorenzo Sonego.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs. (3) Novak Djokovic
Djokovic and Mpetshi Perricard will be squaring off for the first time in their careers. Having played only one clay-court match so far in 2026, Djokovic arrives in Paris as a bit of a question mark. Still, the 24-time Grand Slam champion is always an entirely different beast at majors. In fact, he has advanced to the semifinals at five straight majors dating back to the start of the 2025 campaign.
Mpetshi Perricard is lacking confidence to an even greater extent heading into the season’s second slam. The huge-serving Frenchman briefly peaked inside the top 30 last year but currently finds himself at 80th in the rankings partly because of a 6-11 record at the ATP level in 2026. Although GMP won a title on clay at the 2024 Lyon ATP 250, this surface is by far his worst. Even a mediocre level from Djokovic should be enough to secure his place in round two with little fuss.
Pick: Djokovic in 3
Lorenzo Sonego vs. (Q) Pierre-Hugues Herbert
Herbert has turned back the clock by making only his third main-draw appearance at a major since the start of 2022 — but it’s his third in succession at the French Open. The 35-year-old played his way into the draw with qualifying victories over Kaichi Uchida and Leandro Riedi (he also got a walkover from Jan Choinski). Herbert is all the way down at No. 223 in the world, but he has at least enjoyed occasional success on the Challenger Tour in 2026.
Up first for Herbert is Sonego, whom the Frenchman has never faced. Sonego has also gone in the wrong direction in the rankings over the past few years, although he at least still registers in the top 70 (currently No. 69). The 31-year-old Italian is a disappointing 3-5 for his 2026 campaign and is mired in a five-match losing streak, having picked up just one match win since the Aussie Open. Buoyed by what will surely be a rowdy French crowd, P2H should be able to continue his momentum from qualifying.
Pick: Herbert in 4
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.