Novak Djokovic began his French Open title defence with a solid if not spectacular victory over home hope Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

Serbia's Djokovic, 37, upped his level when it mattered to win 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 in Tuesday's night session at Roland Garros.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion will take sole ownership of the record of most major titles with a fourth victory on the Paris clay.

But he has come into the event in uncertain form.

Djokovic has endured a turbulent season, having been far from his lofty heights and not yet reaching a final.

Playing in Geneva last week was a sign he wanted to build rhythm and confidence before heading to the French Open, saying when he arrived that he had "low expectations but high hopes".

Therefore, it was intriguing to see how Djokovic looked against 142nd-ranked wildcard Herbert.