Novak Djokovic clinched a first clay-court victory of the season with a convincing 6-2 6-3 win over Marton Fucsovics at the Geneva Open.

The 24-time grand slam champion, seeded second, had fallen at his first hurdle to Alejandro Tabilo in Monte Carlo and Matteo Arnaldi in Madrid.

However, Djokovic – a gold medallist on the clay at the Paris Olympics in 2024 – finally rediscovered the winning feeling on the red surface to extend his head-to-head record over Fucsovics to 6-0.

Speaking after the win, Djokovic said: "My first win this season on clay. It is great to break the ice in a way. It is a very demanding surface. 

"We all know how tricky it is to play on clay, compared to the other surfaces. You always have to expect an extra ball, an extra shot.

"Here, a bit more altitude, so it helps if you have a good serve. Today, I think that was my strongest shot. I had a high percentage of first serves, a lot of free points on the first serve when I needed to get out of trouble. 

"I think it makes life on the court a bit easier, so I am very glad to be able to play the best tennis when needed. 

"All the way through, I was quite focused and pleased with the level of tennis, so hopefully, that can continue tomorrow."

Djokovic, seeking his 100th career ATP Tour title, now has a chance for swift revenge against Arnaldi when the pair meet in the quarter-finals.

The hunt for No. is ON! 🇷🇸@DjokerNole opens his Geneva run with a confident 6-2 6-3 victory over Fucsovics@genevaopen | #GonetGenevaOpen pic.twitter.com/SGSZiSkChh

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 21, 2025

Data Debrief: Djokovic serves up a treat

As he alluded to himself, Djokovic was absolutely on point with the serve in Geneva, where he reached the semi-finals 12 months ago.

The Serbian had four aces to his opponent's zero, and had a superior first-serve rate of 73% to 57% for Fucsovics.

Moreover, Djokovic won 80% of first-serve points and 77% on his second serve, compared to 53% and 48% for his opponent.