Men's Tennis

Paula Badosa was among the players who punched their ticket to the third round of the 2022 French Open during Thursday's action at Stade Roland Garros.

While third-seeded Badosa survived an upset bid from Kaja Juvan, No. 8 seed Karolina Pliskova became the latest high-profile contender to get knocked out of the women's draw as wild card Leolia Jeanjean scored the most prominent victory of her career.

Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev headlined the Grand Slam title hopefuls to take the court in the men's bracket.

Let's check out the full list of singles results, which will be updated through the conclusion of the day's clay-court play. That's followed by a look at some of the top matches.

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Women's Results

(1) Iga Swiatek d. Alison Riske; 6-0, 6-2

(3) Paula Badosa d. Kaja Juvan; 7-5, 3-6, 6-2

(7) Aryna Sabalenka d. Madison Brengle; 6-1, 6-3

Leolia Jeanjean d. (8) Karolina Pliskova; 6-2, 6-2

Shelby Rogers d. (9) Danielle Collins; 6-4, 6-3

(11) Jessica Pegula d. Anhelina Kalinina; 6-1, 5-7, 6-4

Alize Cornet d. (13) Jelena Ostapenko; 6-0, 1-6, 6-3

(16) Elena Rybakina d. Katie Volynets; 6-4, 6-0

Qinwen Zheng d. (19) Simona Halep; 2-6, 6-2, 6-1

(20) Daria Kasatkina d. Fernanda Contreras Gomez; 6-0, 6-3

(22) Madison Keys d. Caroline Garcia; 6-4, 7-6 (3)

(24) Tamara Zidansek d. Mayar Sherif; walkover

(28) Camila Giorgi d. Yulia Putintseva; 6-3, 7-5

(29) Veronika Kudermetova d. Aleksandra Krunic; 6-3, 6-3

Irina-Camelia Begu d. (30) Ekaterina Alexandrova; 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4

Danka Kovinic d. Anna Karolina Schmiedlova; 6-3, 7-5

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Men's Results

(2) Daniil Medvedev d. Laslo Djere; 6-3, 6-4, 6-3

(4) Stefanos Tsitsipas d. Zdenek Kolar; 6-3, 7-6(8), 6-7(3), 7-6(7)

(7) Andrey Rublev d. Federico Delbonis; 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3

(8) Casper Ruud d. Emil Ruusuvuori; 6-3, 6-4, 6-2

(11) Jannik Sinner d. Roberto Carballes Baena; 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3

(12) Hubert Hurkacz d. Marco Cecchinato; 6-1, 6-4, 6-2

(20) Marin Cilic d. Marton Fucsovics; 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3

Mackenzie McDonald d. (22) Nikoloz Basilashvili; 6-3, 6-1, 6-4

David Goffin d. (24) Frances Tiafoe; 3-6, 7-6 (1), 6-2, 6-4

(28) Miomir Kecmanovic d. Alexander Bublik; 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1

Mikael Ymer d. (29) Dan Evans; 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3

(32) Lorenzo Sonego d. Joao Sousa; 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-4

Holger Rune d. Henri Laaksonen; 6-2, 6-3, 6-3

Hugo Gaston d. Pedro Cachin; 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

Cristian Garin d. Ilya Ivashka; 6-3, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3

Gilles Simon d. Steve Johnson; 7-5, 6-1, 7-6 (6)

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Day 5 Recap

After dropping just two games in a rout of Fiona Ferro in the first round, Badosa received her first real test of the tournament against Juvan.

Both players played well throughout the second-round encounter, combining for 69 winners, which is a good sign for the women's No. 3 seed. She was able to fend off a strong challenge on the strength of three breaks in the deciding third set.

"It was a very tough match and I expected a match like this," Badosa told reporters. "I still need matches here to feel a little bit better. I was nervous and stressed. She was running, getting all the balls. In that moment, I tried to stay as calm as possible and play aggressively."

She could still benefit from cleaning up some of the mistakes on her serve after tallying nine double faults through her first two matches.

Seed survival 😅@paulabadosa makes her escape, shutting down Juvan 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 to claim a spot in the third round#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/KAuoWDtX3U

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2022

Pliskova wasn't able to overcome her mistakes in the loss to Jeanjean.

She finished with more unforced errors (28) than winners (21) and more double-faults (five) than aces (two). It allowed her French counterpart, who played a controlled match with just 17 winners and 12 unforced errors, to pull off the upset.

It's the latest disappointment at the French Open for Pliskova, who's failed to advance beyond the third round in 10 of her 11 appearances. The only exception was a semifinal run in 2017.

https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast/status/1529769862301884417

Danielle Collins and Jelena Ostapenko also suffered disappointing losses, with Alize Cornet reaching the third round despite being unseeded.

On the men's side, Medvedev delivered an early statement with his second consecutive straight-set victory to open the event.

The No. 2 seed made consistent inroads on Djere's serve, winning 50 percent of the points in the return game and securing seven breaks.

"Today, I think, to be honest, Laslo was playing the better clay-court tennis," Medvedev said. "But I managed to fight and just put one more ball in the court than him, and it was a very tough match, but I am happy to win."

It's never over until it's over when @DaniilMedwed is around 🙅‍♂️#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/aXMrGSrjOy

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2022

Stefanos Tsitsipas had more trouble in his second-round matchup with Zdenek Kolar, narrowly surviving a four-hour match that featured three tiebreaks. The No. 4 seed had 25 aces and won 66 percent of service points, but he struggled to put away Kolar, going just 3-of-12 on break opportunities.

Though Tsitsipas escaped with a win, it has not been an easy path for the 23-year-old after needing five sets to win in Round 1.

The third round gets underway Friday in Paris.

The first round of the 2022 French Open is scheduled to wrap up Tuesday at Stade Roland Garros in Paris.

Daniil Medvedev headlined the action in the men's draw, making quick work of Facundo Bagnis in a straight-set victory. Denis Shapovalov was among the seeded players to see their run in the season's second Grand Slam event come to an early end.

No. 3 seed Paula Badosa and 2018 French Open champion Simona Halep led the group of high-profile players to take the court in the women's bracket.

Let's check out the full list of singles results from Roland Garros, which will be updated through the conclusion of play. That's followed by a recap of the day's notable action.

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Men's Results

(2) Daniil Medvedev d. Facundo Bagnis; 6-2, 6-2, 6-2

(4) Stefanos Tsitsipas d. Lorenzo Musetti; 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2

(7) Andrey Rublev d. Soonwoo Kwon; 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

(8) Casper Ruud d. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga; 6-7 (6), 7-6 (4), 6-2, 7-6 (0)

(11) Jannik Sinner d. Bjorn Fratangelo; 6-3, 6-2, 6-3

(12) Hubert Hurkacz d. Giulio Zeppieri; 7-5, 6-2, 7-5

Holger Rune d. (14) Denis Shapovalov; 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (4)

Gilles Simon d. (16) Pablo Carreno Busta; 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 1-6, 6-4

Hugo Gaston d. (19) Alex de Minaur; 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 7-6 (4)

(24) Frances Tiafoe d. Benjamin Bonzi; 7-5, 7-5, 7-6 (5)

(27) Sebastian Korda d. John Millman; 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (6)

Cristian Garin d. (30) Tommy Paul; 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3

(32) Lorenzo Sonego d. Peter Gojowczyk; 6-2, 6-2, 6-1

Joao Sousa d. Chun-hsin Tseng; 6-7 (5), 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4

Laslo Djere d. Ricardas Berankis; 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

Emil Ruusuvuori d. Ugo Humbert; 6-2, 2-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2

Alexander Bublik d. Arthur Rinderknech; 6-2, 6-4, 6-4

Richard Gasquet d. Lloyd Harris; 6-1, 6-3, 6-4

Alex Molcan d. Federico Coria; 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

Ilya Ivashka d. Benoit Paire; 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5

Henri Laaksonen d. Pedro Martinez; 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (1)

David Goffin d. Jiri Lehecka; 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Federico Delbonis d. Adrian Mannarino; 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-2

Roberto Carballes Baena d. Oscar Otte; 7-6 (5), 6-1, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3

Marco Cecchinato d. Pablo Andujar; 4-6, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5, 6-0

Zdenek Kolar d. Lucas Pouille; 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4

Jiri Vesely d. Steve Johnson; 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-2

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Women's Results

(3) Paula Badosa d. Fiona Ferro; 6-2, 6-0

(7) Aryna Sabalenka d. Chloe Paquet; 2-6, 6-3, 6-4

(8) Karolina Pliskova d. Tessah Andrianjafitrimo; 2-6, 6-3, 6-1

(9) Danielle Collins d. Viktoriya Tomova; 6-0, 6-4

(11) Jessica Pegula d. Qiang Wang; 6-2, 6-4

(13) Jelena Ostapenko d. Lucia Bronzetti; 6-1, 6-4

(16) Elena Rybakina d. Arantxa Rus; 6-1, 5-7, 6-2

(19) Simona Halep d. Nastasja Schunk; 6-4, 1-6, 6-1

(20) Daria Kasatkina d. Rebecca Sramkova; 6-2, 6-0

(22) Madison Keys d. Anna Kalinskaya; 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

(24) Tamara Zidansek d. Claire Liu; 6-2, 6-2

(28) Camila Giorgi d. Shuai Zhang; 3-6, 6-2, 6-2

(30) Ekaterina Alexandrova d. Greet Minnen; 7-5, 6-3

Aleksandra Krunic d. Kamilla Rakhimova; 6-4, 6-3

Alize Cornet d. Misaki Doi; 6-2, 6-0

Katie Volynets d. Viktorija Golubic; 6-2, 2-6, 6-1

Caroline Garcia d. Taylor Townsend; 6-3, 6-4

Irina-Camelia Begu d. Jasmine Paolini; 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5)

Shelby Rogers d. Tereza Martincova; 6-4, 6-3

Mayar Sherif d. Marta Kostyuk; 6-3, 7-5

Yulia Putintseva d. Irina Bara; 6-3, 6-1

Anhelina Kalinina d. Hailey Baptiste; 5-2, ret.

Madison Brengle d. Mihaela Buzarnescu; 6-1, 6-2

Kaja Juhan d. Oksana Selekhmeteva; 7-5, 7-6 (4)

Fernanda Contreras d. Panna Udvardy; 7-6 (8), 6-3

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Day 3 Recap

Medvedev, who recently returned from a six-week absence because of a hernia injury, looked like he's already trending back toward top form as he breezed past Bagnis.

The No. 2 seed racked up significant advantages in winners (35-14) and aces (12-0). He also won 57 percent of the points on his Argentine counterpart's serve en route to eight breaks.

"I love Roland Garros, especially since last year," Medvedev said after the win, referencing his quarterfinal run after four straight first-round exits. "Before that, I don't know if I actually loved it given that I was out on the Sunday when the tournament was actually starting on the Monday."

Meddy magic 🎱#RolandGarros | @DaniilMedwed pic.twitter.com/XpVhG0TjXK

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 24, 2022

Shapovalov has endured similar struggles in Paris. He's never advanced beyond the second round in four career appearances.

His loss to Rune was almost entirely self-inflicted. The Canadian finished with far more unforced errors (53) than winners (27) and also tallied six double faults. That allowed the unseeded Danish teenager to advance despite just 17 winners and no aces.

"It was difficult," Shapovalov told reporters. "For sure I wasn't able to bring out my best performance. It's definitely frustrating. But yeah, it just shows I have a lot to work on. And just excited to get back to work. Never think I'm done learning and improving. So, yeah, it's difficult moment, but I just keep working."

Rune previously captured the French Open junior boys title in 2019.

Really good performance today 💪🏼 A happy return in Paris after my 2019 title 🔝

📸 #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/XvXiOvpJV7

— Holger Rune (@holgerrune2003) May 24, 2022

Badosa delivered a highly efficient performance to eliminate Ferro in just 54 minutes.

The 24-year-old Spanish star compiled 25 winners and just 13 unforced errors. She also won 93 percent of the points on her first serve (26 of 28) and converted five of her six break-point chances.

Emphatic 💯@paulabadosa needs just 54 minutes to defeat Fiona Ferro 6-2, 6-0 and advance to the second round.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/fUmtRU4Zlm

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 24, 2022

Badosa reached the quarterfinals in last year's French Open and appears primed to match or exceed that run this time around.

It took awhile for Halep to find a groove Tuesday. She recorded 27 unforced errors while splitting the first two sets with Schunk, but she cut down on the mistakes in a major way in the third set (four unforced errors) and also secured a pair of breaks to advance.

https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast/status/1529173530910277632

The two-time major champion has endured an up-and-down season. She won her first tournament of the year, a warm-up event in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, but hasn't reached another final. She did have an impressive win over Badosa on clay in Madrid, though.

Halep's play in the third set against Schunk is something she can build off moving forward in the French Open.

The second round in the year's second major gets underway Wednesday.

The 2022 French Open men's and women's singles draws were revealed Friday, and two-time Roland Garros champion Novak Djokovic will face a difficult field as he aims to win his third title in Paris. 

Djokovic was drawn in the same half as Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in what is being viewed as the worst-case scenario for the Serbian. 

The 34-year-old, who did not play in the Australian Open, will begin the tournament against Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka, while Nadal will face Australia's Jordan Thompson and Alcaraz will face a qualifier to open things up.

Djokovic could end up meeting Nadal in the quarterfinal. If that happens, it will be one of the most intense matchups of the entire tournament as Nadal is aiming to win his record-extending 14th title at Roland Garros.

The other half of the men's draw is wide-open as Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev highlight the group. 

Roger Federer is a notable absence from the men's field at this year's tournament as he continues to recover from the knee surgery that he had last year. He also is unlikely to play at Wimbledon and told reporters in March that his return to the court probably won't come until late summer. 

Here is a full look at the men's draw:

Roland-Garros men's singles draw :#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/0UNzSnEkPR

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 19, 2022

The women's side is also expected to be competitive, though Poland's Iga Swiatek is the overwhelming favorite to win her second title at Roland Garros. That said, the 20-year-old could still face a tough matchup against Czechia's Karolina Pliskova in the quarterfinals.

However, Swiatek beat Pliskova last year by a double-bagel score at the Italian Open in Rome.  

Here is a look at the women's draw:

Roland-Garros women's singles draw : #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/nw6PiZBiuu

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 19, 2022

Aside from Swiatek, Paula Badosa, Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari, Anett Kontaveit and Barbora Krejcikova are projected to reach the quarterfinals. , Krejcikova, the defending French Open champion, hasn't played in more than two months because of an elbow injury.

Naomi Osaka, meanwhile, was dealt a pretty tough hand as she will open the French Open against American Amanda Anisimova, who eliminated her in January from the Australian Open in the third round. 

The women's tournament will look a little different this year with the absences of Ash Barty and Serena Williams. Barty, the 2019 French Open champion, announced her retirement from tennis in March.

Meanwhile, Williams, a three-time champion at Roland Garros, is missing the tournament for the first time since 2017 and it's unclear when she might return to the court. 

The first round of the French Open will begin Sunday and runs through June 5. 

Novak Djokovic offered his support to former coach Boris Becker, who was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison last week.

"[I'm] just heartbroken, I mean, for him," Djokovic said Sunday, per the Associated Press. "He's a friend, a longtime friend, a coach for three, four years, someone I consider close in my life and has contributed a lot to my success in my career."

Becker—who won six Grand Slam tournaments himself—coached Djokovic for three years starting in December 2013.

On April 8, he was convicted on four counts of violating Britain's Insolvency Act. It was determined he illegally transferred large sums of money from his business accounts to other accounts after declaring bankruptcy, while also hiding other assets.

He faced a maximum of seven years in prison.

The 54-year-old must serve at least 15 months before he is eligible for release.

Becker had previously been convicted of tax evasion and attempted tax evasion in Germany in 2002 but received a suspended two-year sentence.

"I just hope he will go through this period that he has to be in jail and that when he comes out he's, you know, being able to live his life as, I don't know if we'll use the word 'normal,' because the life is definitely changing," Djokovic said of Becker. "I just pray for him. I hope things will be well in terms of his health, his mental health, because that's going to be the most challenging part."

Djokovic is preparing for the Madrid Open in Spain, looking to build on his recent appearance in front of his hometown fans at the Serbia Open final.

Novak Djokovic will not be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in order to compete at Wimbledon in June.

According to ESPN's Tom Hamilton, the All England Club announced Tuesday that players do not have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to take part in the 2022 Wimbledon tournament in London.

Djokovic, who is the reigning Wimbledon champion, was not permitted to play in the Australian Open earlier this year due to being unvaccinated.

The 34-year-old was involved in a bizarre saga in Australia, as he was initially granted an exemption to play in the tournament after arguing that he was immune to the virus after testing positive for COVID-19 shortly before the tournament.

The Australian border authority rejected the exemption and canceled Djokovic's visa, however. After Djokovic was forced to quarantine at an immigration hotel, a hearing determined that he could not take part in the Australian Open.

Djokovic returned to action this month as part of the clay-court season in anticipation of the French Open, which will begin next month and also seems set to allow unvaccinated players to play.

Despite missing time, Djokovic is still the No. 1 player in the world in the ATP rankings, and he is considered a top contender to win both the French Open and Wimbledon.

Last year, Djokovic won each of the first three Grand Slams before falling to Daniil Medvedev in the finals of the U.S. Open.

With 20 career Grand Slam singles titles to his credit, the Serbian star is joint-second alongside Roger Federer behind Rafael Nadal's 21 on the all-time list.

Nadal will undoubtedly be Djokovic's top competition at the French Open, but Djoker figures to be a heavy favorite at Wimbledon.

Nole is a six-time Wimbledon champion, and he is technically the three-time reigning champion, having won it in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Wimbledon was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This summer, Djokovic will look to become the first men's player to win four consecutive Wimbledon titles since Roger Federer won five in a row from 2003 through 2007.

Novak Djokovic has played in just one match in the 2022 season, as his refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination has meant he couldn't participate or travel to tournaments like the Australian Open, BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open, among others. 

But the 34-year-old is eager to return to a more regular schedule in the future.

"I miss competition," he told reporters Sunday. "I still feel motivation to be on the tour and compete ... and try to challenge the best players in the world for the biggest titles."

Djokovic will compete at the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco this week, one of the lead-up tournaments to the French Open in late May. 

"I will try to use [the French Open title] as an inspiration to kick-start the clay-court season the best possible way," he said. "I understand that I probably won't be at my best, particularly at the beginning."

He added, "It will take some time, some matches, to really get in the groove."

Djokovic attempted to play in the Australian Open this season, only to be deported from the country after an 11-day legal battle because of his unvaccinated status.

Since then, he watched Rafael Nadal win that tournament, moving to 21 Grand Slams wins—one more than both Djokovic and Roger Federer—and lost his No. 1 ranking in February, a mark he held for two years. 

He also cut ties with his longtime coach, Marian Vajda, ending a 15-year partnership. 

"The last four, five months have been really challenging for me mentally and emotionally, but here I am and I try to leave all that behind and move on," Djokovic said in Monaco.

Djokovic was superb in 2021, going 55-7 with five singles title, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the French Open. He reached the final of the U.S. Open but lost to Daniil Medvedev, denying him the first calendar sweep of the Grand Slams in the men's game since Rod Laver pulled off the trick in 1969. 

When on the court, Djokovic is one of the best players to ever live, one-third of the golden age in men's tennis alongside Federer and Nadal. He's hoping to more regularly be on the court going forward. 

Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal is reportedly expected to miss four-to-six weeks of action because of a rib injury suffered during last week's 2022 BNP Paribas Open.

Marca's Joan Solsona reported Tuesday (h/t Ben Rothenberg of Racquet Magazine) that Nadal originally suffered the stress injury during a semifinal win over Carlos Alcaraz but still played the championship match against Taylor Fritz, which he lost in straight sets.

Nadal won his first 20 matches of the 2022 season, highlighted by capturing his record-setting 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, before suffering his first loss of the campaign to Fritz.

Afterward, the 35-year-old Spaniard said the injury was a major factor on Sunday.

"I had pain, honestly. I had problems breathing," Nadal told reporters. "I don't know if it's something on the rib, I don't know yet. When I'm breathing, when I'm moving it's like a needle all the time inside here. I get dizzy a little bit because it's painful."

He also continued to deal with a lingering foot injury earlier in the tournament.

The good news for Nadal is the projected timetable for his return should allow him back on the court before the next major. The French Open is scheduled to begin May 22, which is eight weeks away.

Of course, that's always an important stop for Nadal, who's captured a record 13 titles at Roland-Garros to earn the nickname "The King of Clay."

Even if he misses the early portion of the clay-court season, he should be able to get at least one warm-up event in before arriving in Paris, barring a setback.

Another triumph in the French Open would give Nadal a two-major lead over his closest competition, longtime rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who each own 20 Grand Slam titles.

Rafael Nadal's red-hot start to the 2022 season continued on Saturday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Cameron Norrie in the final of the Mexican Open. 

The Spanish star has now won each of the three tournaments he has entered this year. The Mexican Open was his first event since the Australian Open final on Jan. 30. He won five matches this week, all in straight sets. 

91 and done 💪

The moment @RafaelNadal locked up his 91st career title, and fourth at Acapulco. #AMT2022 pic.twitter.com/xworLaTfbh

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 27, 2022

Nadal's four victories in this tournament tie him with Thomas Muster for the most by a male or female singles player. He has won this event twice in the past three years. 

Norrie was seeking his second straight tournament victory. He arrived in Mexico coming off a win at the Delray Beach Open. The 26-year-old had to overcome his bad history against Nadal to win another event. He lost each of their previous three matches, all in 2021, including in the Round of 32 at the Australian Open and French Open. 

This was a methodical victory for Nadal, who only had three aces in the match. He did do a good job of holding serve, winning 30 of 43 first-serve points and saving three of five break point opportunities from Norrie.

Vicious 😠@RafaelNadal just tears into this head-high ball off the backhand side. #AMT2022 pic.twitter.com/wsYpvYdsNu

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 27, 2022

Speaking to reporters after his semifinal win over Daniil Medvedev, Nadal sounded reflective about his ability to reach another final at this late stage of his career. 

"This week means a lot after what happened in Australia," Nadal said. "I was able to remain focused. That means that I'm OK mentally, and that's important because there's a tough final tomorrow."

Rafa was great at preventing Norrie from getting comfortable with his serve. He converted four of five break-point chances overall, including three of four in the second set. 

Nadal is currently riding a 15-game winning streak, the longest stretch to open a season in his career. His last loss was in the second round of the Citi Open to Lloyd Harris in August. 

After getting a well-earned week off, Nadal is expected to be in the field at Indian Wells starting March 7. His last appearance in the tournament was in 2019 when he advanced to the semifinal, but had to withdraw prior to a match with Roger Federer because of a hip injury. 

Novak Djokovic played his first tennis match of the year in the Dubai Championships on Monday, defeating Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-3 to move on to the second round, where he'll face either Karen Khachanov or Alex de Minaur.

The Serbian told reporters after the win that he was happy with how he played, especially after not taking the court for nearly three months:

I have to be satisfied with my tennis, especially after not playing for two and a half, three months. Of course, there were moments when I played great, there were moments when I made a couple of unforced errors in a row uncharacteristically. But it's normal to expect that [in my] first match after a while.

Entering Monday, Djokovic hadn't played since the ATP World Tour Finals in November 2021, where he fell to Germany's Alexander Zverev 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3. The 34-year-old was deported from Australia last month for being unvaccinated and was unable to compete in the 2022 Australian Open.

According to Sky Sports, Djokovic "received an extremely positive reception" from fans who attended Monday's match in the United Arab Emirates. Serbian flags filled the stands, and many were chanting his name.

Djokovic said after Monday's win:

I couldn't have asked for a better reception. It's been a while since I played my last match, I couldn't have picked a better place to kick-start the season and [have] the best possible experience. Thank you very much for your support and welcoming me the way that you did.

While the world No. 1 is competing this month, his status for next month's Indian Wells Masters is unclear. As of mid-February, non-U.S. citizens must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to enter the country.

Djokovic might also not be allowed to play in the French Open in May. France recently passed a law requiring people to show proof of vaccination to enter public spaces, including sports venues.

The Serbian is the defending champion of both the French Open and Wimbledon. If he can't play in either event, there will be new champions this year.

Djokovic remains unvaccinated and has reiterated he has no plans to receive a vaccine. He recently said he would sacrifice Grand Slam trophies before getting a vaccine, adding, "that is the price that I'm willing to pay."

Djokovic is tied with Roger Federer for the second-most Grand Slam men's singles titles in history with 20. Rafael Nadal recently won the Australian Open for his 21st Grand Slam title, breaking a three-way tie with Djokovic and Federer for the most all-time. 

The Australian Open might not be the only Grand Slam tournament Novak Djokovic misses because of his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine.

Speaking to Amol Rajan of the BBC, Djokovic said he would be willing to sit out the four major events on the tennis calendar if they enforce a vaccine mandate.

"Yes, that is the price that I'm willing to pay," he said.

Djokovic said his stance is not about being anti-vaccine but giving people the freedom to choose what they put in their bodies.

"Because the principles of decision-making on my body are more important than any title or anything else," he said. "I'm trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can."

In April 2020, Djokovic made comments in Serbia saying that he is "opposed to vaccination" and would have to consider things if the ATP Tour made it mandatory for players to be vaccinated in order to play.

"Personally, I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn't want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel," Djokovic said in a Facebook Live chat (h/t Zoran Milosavljevic of Reuters). "But if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision. I have my own thoughts about the matter, and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I don't know."

Djokovic was unable to play in the Australian Open last month after being deported from the country when three judges unanimously ruled Australian immigration minister Alex Hawke wasn't irrational for ejecting the star because of public safety concerns stemming from his vaccination status.

Tournament organizers required all participants to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or receive a medical exemption from an independent panel of experts. Djokovic originally received a medical exemption after testing positive for and recovering from the virus in December.

The French government recently adopted a law that requires "all spectators, practitioners, French or foreign professionals" to present a vaccine pass to enter stadiums, theaters or exhibitions in the country, unless a person has proof they tested positive for COVID-19 within the past six months.

Given the timing of Djokovic's positive test, he could be allowed to participate in the French Open. The 2022 tournament at Roland Garros is scheduled to run from May 22 to June 5.

Djokovic is the defending French Open champion. He defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 2021 final in five sets.