Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas earned a first-round victory Monday when they upset defending champions Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic 6-3, 6-2 at the BNP Paribas Open.
Better known for their singles rivalry, Djokovic and Tsitsipas entered the doubles draw as an unfamiliar pairing, despite having faced each other 14 times on the Tour. But the wild cards quickly found their rhythm to earn a comprehensive 53-minute win against third seeds Arevalo and Pavic, who won the title in 2025 by beating four teams of primarily singles players.
Playing together for the first time, Djokovic and Tsitsipas controlled the match behind a strong serving performance in front of a packed crowd on Stadium 3. They won 89 per cent of their first-serve points and saved all four break points they faced, according to ATP Infosys Stats.
They will face fellow singles stars Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot in the second round.
Earlier on Monday, Djokovic, a five-time singles champion at the event, reached the fourth round of the singles draw for the first time in nine years when he defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. Tsitsipas lost to Denis Shapovalov in the opening round.
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