World No.1 Novak Djokovic is hopeful that he will be ready in time for next month’s French Open despite a lack of match play in recent months.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has only been able to play in two tournaments up to this week. At the Australian Open he entered the country under the impression he could play with a medical exemption which he applied for due to not having a COVID-19 vaccination. However, border officials deemed the reason invalid. Paving way for two high-profile legal hearings within a week, which resulted in the tennis star being deported. Djokovic also missed out on tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami because America doesn’t allow unvaccinated visitors unless they qualify for a medical exemption.
In total, the Serbian has played just four matches so far in 2022. At the Dubai Tennis Championships he reached the quarter-finals before losing to Jiri Vesely. Then at last week’s Monte Carlo Masters he suffered a first round defeat to Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Forkina went on to reach the final for the first time in his career.
“I was not fully ready for the tournament in Monte Carlo and I knew that before the tournament started,” Djokovic told reporters in Belgrade on Monday.
“However, I need match practice and this is the surface (clay) that requires a lot of time spent on the court during training sessions, and even more during matches.”
Djokovic is hoping that he will rapidly regain his form in time for his title defence at the French Open which will get underway on May 23rd. Besides nemesis Rafael Nadal, he is the only male player to have won Roland Garros on multiple occasions within the last 20 years.
“Roland Garros is the quintessential clay-court tournament and I’m partly already there in my thoughts, in terms of preparation and everything I’m doing at the moment to get there as ready as I can be,” he stated.
The next test for the 34-year-old will be at this week’s Serbian Open. Djokovic has received a bye in the first round and he will begin his campaign against either Laslo Djere or Hamad Medjedovic. Then it is possible that he could play Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals who is playing his first ATP Tour event since last summer due to a right wrist injury.
Djokovic has won an ATP title on home territory three times in his career. He won the Serbian Open back in 2009 and 2011. Then last year he triumphed at the Belgrade Open which was played in the week leading up to the French Open.
“I had never before played a tournament in the week ahead of Roland Garros but last year I decided to do just that,” he explains.
“Because it was Belgrade and I needed the feeling that the audience is the wind beneath my wings. It came true, I won the tournament, and it turned out I made a good decision ahead of the French Open.”
This week Djokovic is seeking to win his 87th Tour title.
