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She is the only player other than Novak Djokovic to reach round two of Roland Garros every year since 2016

Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
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Novak Djokovic continues to impress at Roland Garros, having just battled past Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to reach round two.

But he isn’t the only experienced player to have entered this year’s Grand Slam, with his fellow ATP icons Gael Monfils and Stan Wawrinka having both been involved.

The legendary figures have, however, failed to make it to the second round of Roland Garros after losing to Hugo Gaston and Jesper de Jong respectively.

But one player who has managed to match Djokovic and reach round two is WTA ace Daria Kasatkina, with their wins also having greater significance in Paris.

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Daria Kasatkina and Novak Djokovic maintain superb runs at Roland Garros

As per OptaAce, Djokovic and Kasatkina are the only two players to have made the second round of Roland Garros in each of the last 11 editions of the tournament.

The superb runs stretch all the way back to 2016, when the ATP legend claimed the first of his three titles in Paris.

He’s now chasing further success at Roland Garros this year, with Valentin Royer now awaiting the Serbian in round two.

Meanwhile, Kasatkina will take on qualifier Susan Bandecchi after defeating Zeynep Sonmez 6-4, 6-4 in round one.

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What is Daria Kasatkina’s career Grand Slam record?

Fittingly, Roland Garros represents Kasatkina’s best career Grand Slam thanks to her semifinal run in 2022.

Now representing Australia, she is currently ranked 53rd on the WTA Tour, and entered the tournament with a 13-9 record for 2026.

She boasts eight career titles and a high ranking of world number eight, most recently winning in 2024 in both Ningbo and Eastbourne.

Elsewhere in her career, the 29-year-old has reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and the fourth rounds of both the Australian Open and the US Open.

YearTournaments
2024Ningbo, Eastbourne
2022San Jose, Granby
2021Melbourne, St. Petersburg
2018Moscow
2017Charleston
Daria Kasatkina’s WTA titles

Kasatkina can indeed be very proud of joining Djokovic in the record books, but whether or not she can improve upon her best-ever finish in Paris remains to be seen.

She certainly has a potential major threat should she get past Bandecchi, with WTA number one Aryna Sabalenka among Kasatkina’s possible third round opponents.