Novak Djokovic, the top-ranked player in the world, advanced to the Paris-Bercy quarterfinals after a hard-fought comeback against Tallon Griekspoor, clinching a 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 victory on Thursday in the season’s final Masters 1000 event. The match unfolded with drama from the start, as Griekspoor seized the initiative and Djokovic found himself chasing a deficit that grew larger in the opening set. Griekspoor’s aggressive serving and clean ball striking pushed Djokovic onto the back foot, and the Serb watched as the Dutchman capitalized on early chances to claim the first set. The air inside the arena crackled with tension as the favorite faced a setback that could shift momentum in a heartbeat. In that moment, Griekspoor demonstrated the level of consistency that has carried him into the later stages of this demanding tour stop, while Djokovic confronted a rare stretch of unforced errors and a wandering rhythm that briefly obscured his typical precision.
Djokovic began to wrestle the match back into a more familiar frame as the second set wore on. The tilt shifted when he found his pace and steadied his footing, forcing a deciding tiebreak after a tense stretch in which both players traded blows at pivotal moments. The turning point arrived when Djokovic battled through a critical sequence, saving three set points from Griekspoor and pushing the match into a decisive third set. The crowd rose to its feet as the Serbian began to show the form that has defined his career, tapping into a mix of clinical serves and patient retrieving to reset the tempo. Griekspoor, unfazed by the late pressure, continued to contest every ball and refused to surrender the initiative, keeping the match in a state of near-even balance through the second-set tiebreak.
With the decider underway, Djokovic faced another stern test. He briefly faced a break opportunity as Griekspoor opened the door at the start of the frame, but the world number one answered with renewed focus, delivering a sequence of strong serves and clean winners that gradually swung the momentum in his favor. Although Djokovic briefly found himself under renewed pressure after seeing his serve broken in the middle game, he responded with resilience, tightening his defense and extending rallies that stretched the Dutchman, who refused to yield. The turning point arrived as Djokovic translated experience into crucial aggression, seizing key moments and keeping the pressure on Griekspoor while the crowd leaned toward the world number one.
In Paris, Djokovic had not played a tournament since lifting the US Open trophy two months prior, a layoff that naturally invited questions about his form and rhythm. Still, the six-time finalist at this event demonstrated why he remains a perennial title contender by delivering a performance that mixed urgency with strategic patience. Griekspoor, meanwhile, showcased his own growth, staying competitive under pressure and taking nothing for granted even when the scoreline began to tilt. The match reached a late climax as Djokovic found another gear, and Griekspoor could not quite sustain the level that had carried him through the earlier phases. Djokovic secured the final breaks necessary to close out the match, advancing to the quarterfinals where he would meet a rising challenger in the next round.
Looking ahead in Paris, the narrative centers on Djokovic’s bid to defend his spot atop the world rankings and to keep pace with rivals such as Carlos Alcaraz, who bowed out earlier in the event. The upcoming quarterfinal pairing would place Djokovic against a formidable opponent from the field—either Holger Rune, who defeated him in last year’s final at this venue, or Daniel Altmaier. The result adds another chapter to Djokovic’s storied career, underscoring his capacity to navigate rough patches and extract victory from tight situations even after a brief spell away from competition. Football-like momentum and tennis sense converge as he presses toward another deep run in a Masters 1000 event that often shapes the tail end of the season.