Djokovic Admits Physical Toll After Surviving Vacherot Test At Paris Masters

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has fired back at doubts surrounding his longevity, overcoming a set and a break deficit to defeat Valentin Vacherot 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the Paris Masters.

Making his debut at the La Défense Arena,the tournament’s new venue, the 39-year-old seven-time champion snapped Vacherot’s five-match winning streak coming off his Basel title, keeping his own push for ATP Finals qualification alive.

Read Also:Super Falcons, Adegbuyi, Akekoromowei, Uzoma Nominated For 2026 CAF Awards

The two-hour-and-35-minute battle took a severe physical toll on the 10th seed, who struggled early on against Vacherot’s heavy serving. “I expected a match like this with very few opportunities,” Djokovic said.

“He has a tremendous serve coming at 215 to 225 km/h. For a set and a half, I had a very difficult time reading it, which put additional pressure on my service games.”

A rare blunder in the first-set tiebreak nearly proved costly for Djokovic. “I missed an incredibly easy forehand volley. I just had a brain freeze, and next thing you know, I was down a set and down a break,” he admitted.

Read Also:2026 U-17 WWC: Brazil Coach Rilany Warns Flamingos Will Be Tough To Beat

However, a break back at 2-1 in the second set unlocked the contest, allowing Djokovic to establish control on Vacherot’s delivery.

While the Serbian finished strongly in the third set, he raised concerns over his physical freshness heading into his next-round tie against Rinky Hijikata. “The third set was really good, but it was very tiring physically with a lot of long rallies,” Djokovic noted after sealing his hard-fought comeback.

Austin Akhilomen is a passionate sports content writer with a strong interest in football. He is a fan of the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Chelsea, and he enjoys following the teams, players, and competitions that make the sport exciting. Austin writes sports news, match reports, and football content to keep readers informed about the latest developments in the sporting world. His passion for sports also drives his aim to promote the game and connect football fans across the globe. Through his work with Complete Sports, Austin shares engaging sports content with readers and brings his love for football into every story he writes.