Novak Djokovic defeated Lorenzo Musetti in five sets in the slowest ending to a match in French Open history, finishing at 3:06 a.m. Sunday in Paris.
Djokovic, a record-high 24-time Grand Slam men’s singles champion, beat 30th-seeded Musetti of Italy 7-5, 6-7 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.
This broke the previous French Open final record, set in 2020 when Rafael Nadal defeated Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals at 1:26 a.m. It was the first year that matches were played after 10 p.m. because Court Philippe Chatrier had a roof and lights were turned on around the venue.
Djokovic-Musetti got off to a delayed start, after 10:30 p.m. local time, because another match that couldn’t be completed because of rain on Friday, Grigor Dimitrov-Zizou Bergs, was moved to Court Philippe Chatrier on Saturday after rain again disrupted the outdoor court schedule.
French Open Draw: Men’s | Women’s | Broadcast Schedule
“Things could have been handled differently,” Djokovic said of the scheduling choices.
Musetti lost to Djokovic in five sets at the French Open for just the second time in 2021, squandering a two-set lead.
Djokovic, who has yet to reach a final in 2024, will next face 23rd seed Francisco Cernudolo of Argentina in the round of 16 on Monday.
In the match, he will be trying to break his tie with Roger Federer for the most career Grand Slam singles wins with 369.
Djokovic has even bigger hopes in Paris, as he seeks to win his fourth French Open title and break Margaret Court’s record for most Grand Slam singles titles.
The French Open continues on Sunday with live coverage starting at 12 p.m. ET on NBC, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports App and Peacock.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The tennis stadium at the Paris Olympics will become widely known after the French Open.
