Mackenzie Mcdonald vs Novak Djokovic Prediction & Picks - ATP French Open

Prediction published on 5/27/25, 6:13 AM  by Lou Aguila in ATP French Open Picks

Novak Djokovic of Serbia will start his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title on Tuesday against Mackenzie McDonald in the first round of the 2025 French Open.

Djokovic salvaged his crumbling clay-court campaign with a title-clinching run at the 2025 Geneva Open. Before the victory in the Swiss city, things didn’t look well for former world’s No.1 on clay as the Serb suffered back-to-back opening match defeats at the hands of Alejandro Tabilo of Chile 6-3 6-4 in Monte Carlo and Matteo Arnaldi of Italy 3-6 4-6 in Madrid. In an attempt to recalibrate, Djokovic and his team decided to skip the Rome Masters and see how he would perform at a smaller tournament in Geneva. The plan paid off as Djokovic rattled off four wins, including a gutsy 5-7 7-6(2) 7-6(2) win over an in-form Hubert Hurkacz of Poland in the final.

McDonald, meanwhile, will attempt to do what only two players in history have done against Djokovic at a Grand Slam event: oust him in the first round. It has been 19 years since someone managed to eliminate Djokovic right from the get-go. Paul Goldstein of the United States defeated a teen Djokovic 6–2, 1–6, 6–3, 6–2 at the 2006 Australian Open. McDonald, who has lost his last three matches and four of his last five, requires a combination of skill and a lot of luck to pull off such a rare feat at Roland Garros.