PARIS -- Novak Djokovic's backhand clipped the net and landed wide, so he shook his head. That was it.
Later, a too-soft drop shot found the white tape and bounced back on his own side, finally ceding a game in a dominant debut performance at the 2020 French Open. Djokovic simply bowed and walked to the sideline.
And when he flubbed yet another drop shot -- he kept using them on the slow red clay during a 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 win over 80th-ranked Mikael Ymer -- and got broken Wednesday, Djokovic pulled an extra tennis ball out of his pocket and merely gave it a gentle tap with his racket strings.
The ball landed right behind him, safely in the middle of the court.
Playing his first Grand Slam match since his US Open disqualification for smacking a ball after dropping a game and accidentally striking a line judge in throat, Djokovic never really gave himself reason for histrionics or shouts of dismay or displays of anger. Sure, there was some eye-rolling and one sarcastic kiss directed at one of the few fans on hand under the roof at Court Philippe Chatrier.
But otherwise, what was there for Djokovic to be disturbed about?
"I just felt very suffocated out there," Ymer said of Djokovic's dominance. " It's just corner, corner; very, very rarely miss. His position is unreal in the court.
"You know how the snake kills its prey?" Ymer said, pantomiming a boa constrictor's attack by bringing his arms around and putting his hands together. "That's a little bit how I felt being out there."
Ymer said he didn't pay any attention to Djokovic's mood or energy.
And Djokovic, for his part, said that what happened in Flushing Meadows was of no concern to him, either, as he began his pursuit of a second title at Roland Garros and 18th Grand Slam trophy overall.
"I have not had any traces of New York in my mind. I'm over it. Honestly forgot about it. I'm not thinking about it," the No. 1 seed said after improving to 32-1 in 2020, the only blemish being that fourth-round default this month.
"Winning a 6-love first set is the best possible way to start a Grand Slam," Djokovic said. "This is exactly what my intentions will be -- trying to get off the blocks very strong, with a good intensity, obviously, because players in the early rounds have nothing to lose."
The two men who were finalists at the Hamburg tuneup event that ended Monday -- No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 13 Andrey Rublev -- both dropped the first two sets Wednesday before coming back to win.
Tsitsipas trailed Jaume Munar before advancing 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, while Rublev knelt on court and covered his face with his hands after turning things around to beat Sam Querrey 6-7 (5), 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4, 6-3.
Querrey led the third set 5-2 and served for the victory at 5-3 but let things get away from him.
"I went 0-4 in serving out sets," Querrey said. " I would like to think that will never happen to me again. It's probably never happened. Someone with my serve, I can't let that happen."
Another American who played a five-setter, Marcos Giron, did pick up a win, edging Quentin Halys 7-5, 3-6, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 8-6 to become the eighth U.S. man to reach the second round.
US Open semifinalist Matteo Berrettini defeated Vasek Pospisil 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. The seventh-seeded Italian next faces Lloyd Harris.
No. 20 Cristian Garin of Chile won against German veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 and plays lucky loser Marc Polmans.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.