Valentin Royer has faced only three top-10 opponents in his career. On Wednesday at Roland Garros, the 23-year-old Frenchman will step onto Court Philippe-Chatrier for the biggest match of his career against 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic. It will be a momentous occasion for a player competing in just his second Roland Garros main draw, especially considering how tricky Royer’s season has been leading into the season’s second major.
Before arriving in Paris, the World No. 74 in the PIF ATP Rankings had earned only one tour-level win across 11 tournaments he played this season.
“Mentally, we did a lot of work and I really needed that to rebuild my self-confidence,” Royer shared. “Above all [I needed to] really find this hunger to win that I'd lost in recent times.
"For my game, it's very important. I have a very aggressive, offensive game, and I go up a lot to the net. If I don't have the self-confidence, I don't have this urge to win, it's very difficult to perform in the very best way possible.”
The Frenchman saw all the challenges as an opportunity. Now, Royer is making a fresh start at Roland Garros. After cruising through his opening-round match — in which he defeated Hugo Dellien — the 23-year-old suddenly finds himself preparing for the greatest challenge of his career. Despite the struggles of the past few months, Royer shared how the difficult stretch helped him rediscover his hunger and self-belief.
“The past few months [have been difficult],” Royer said. “When you think you're there, tennis brings you back down to earth. It makes you question yourself again, and this is what happened. I took a real slap in the face from the Tour and I went through some very difficult periods in my life.
“Something that I would never have thought would have happened to me when I was younger, but it’s done. I've managed to climb back up that slope and [I am beginning to] feel good again on the court and [feeling] more and more confident.”
Royer’s resilience is rooted in his upbringing. The Frenchman spent much of his childhood moving across Eastern Europe, an experience he says shaped his mentality and work ethic. At the age of 14, Royer trained for two years at the Tipsarevic Tennis Academy, founded by former World No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings Janko Tipsarevic. The constant adaptation and challenges helped him endure difficult moments with a positive outlook and keep pushing forward.
Now, those learnings will be tested once more. Facing Djokovic — especially at a major — is the kind of opportunity every player dreams about. For Royer, it is not only the biggest match of his career, but also an opportunity to see how far his confidence and perseverance will take him.
“Today I feel that I'm released from all [bad experiences] and I'm relieved that I'm enjoying myself once again on the court,” Royer shared following his opening-round win. “Playing in front of a French crowd that's on fire, I was really happy to be on the court, and you can see it in my game. I'm happy off the court. I feel confident in myself.
“In any case, I'm on the right road forward.”
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