Stat of the Day: Novak Djokovic reaches second week at a Grand Slam for 60th time in his career

Novak Djokovic got some revenge against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Court Philippe Chatrier on Friday, battling to a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-2 third-round victory and avenging a loss to the Spaniard in their most recent meeting in Monte Carlo last year.

With the win, Djokovic hits a major career milestone: he’s now into the second week of a Grand Slam for the 60th time in his career.

DJOKOVIC’S SECOND WEEKS BY MAJOR:
~ Australian Open: 15 second weeks (titles: 10)
~ Roland Garros: 17 second weeks (titles: 2)
~ Wimbledon: 14 second weeks (titles: 7)
~ US Open: 14 second weeks (titles: 3)

Djokovic is making the 70th Grand Slam appearance of his career at Roland Garros this year, meaning he’s now reached the second week at 60 of the 70 majors he’s ever played. And given he fell in the first week in the first five he ever played, Djokovic has actually reached the second week at 60 of the last 65 majors he’s played.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion is the second man in the Open Era to record 60 or more round-of-16 appearances at a Slam.

MOST ROUND OF 16 APPEARANCES AT MAJORS (men, Open Era):
69: Roger Federer
60: Novak Djokovic
54: Rafael Nadal
43: Jimmy Connors
42: Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi

Davidovich Fokina definitely had his chances in the first two sets on Friday—he served for the opening set at 6-5, and in the second set he even had set point with Djokovic serving at 5-6, 30-40.

But Djokovic just wouldn’t let go, eventually grinding out both the 90-minute first set and the 83-minute second set, and once those were in his pocket he stepped even harder on the gas, breaking early in the third and opening up a 5-2 lead, and breaking the Spaniard one last time to close it out after three hours and 36 grueling minutes.

“It was extremely tough for various reasons,” Djokovic said. “First, three hours for two sets, I don’t remember when I played last time three hours, two sets. Maybe against Nadal in one of our matches.

“But this was looking like if I lost one of the first two sets, it was going to go four, five hours. It was just a kind of a day and conditions that were very challenging for both players physically. Lots of exchanges. Serve was really not an advantage for either of us. Really, it was cat and mouse every single point, trying to outsmart your opponent. We were doing a lot of running. Not just left, right, but forward and backward, especially when he was playing from that end where he is playing against the wind, he was drop shotting a lot.

“He was making me work for every point. I just have to be, in the end of the day when I draw a line, very content to win this match in three sets.”

Djokovic will play the winner of No. 13 seed Hubert Hurkacz and unseeded Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas in the round of 16.