Valentin Royer had a message for Carlos Alcaraz (Image: Getty)
French tennis sensation Valentin Royer won't get the opportunity for a rematch against Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open this year due to the Spaniard's injury.
Nevertheless, the 24-year-old - who takes onNovak Djokovicon Wednesday - has already put the former champion on notice. Royer reached the second round at his home grand slam for the first time after defeating Bolivian qualifier Hugo Dellien in straight sets.
This follows just months after he pushedAlcarazto the limit in Qatar, demonstrating his ambitions as he continues to make his mark on the sport. Meanwhile,Naomi Osaka makes feelings clear on Serena Williams making tennis comeback.
"I'll come for you and Jannik [Sinner]," Royer told Alcaraz after a 6-2, 7-5 defeat in Doha. The scoreline failed to reflect the full picture, with the Frenchman leading 5-2 in the second set before his opponent staged a comeback. Alcaraz dropped just one set throughout the entire tournament, defeating fellow French player Arthur Fils in straight sets in the final.
Over the past 12 months, Royer has been splitting his time between the ATP and Challenger tours, reaching a Challenger final in Portugal in April, where Roman Safiullin claimed the title.
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Royer's bold message to Alcaraz underscores the ambition of a player who could advance to the third round of a grand slam for the first time this year. He reached the second round at both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2025, but fell to Taylor Fritz in the first round of the Australian Open in January.
Djokovic, seeded third at Roland Garros, faces a French opponent for the second consecutive round. He defeated Giovanni Mpetschi-Perricard to open his campaign, despite surrendering the first set to the 22 year old.
The Serbian star also poked fun at hometown favorite Gael Monfils ahead of the tournament as the veteran prepares to hang up his racket this year.
Monfils failed to defeat Djokovic across all 20 of their matchups and fell to Hugo Gaston in his final Roland Garros appearance, following an outpouring of tributes from the tennis community.
"Honestly, he was one of my favourite players to watch, no doubt, and one of the favourite players to play against, as well! I mean, I'm sorry, but I had to mention it," Djokovic said. "But incredible guy, incredible guy, so much fun to talk to him, to be around him.
"You know, it was really nice and emotional the other night. I was so happy to be part of that. Playing this game and all of the guys from men's and women's side coming to celebrate his journey, his career, was a great moment."
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