Novak Djokovic has hit out at the Italian Open after saying the tournament ‘never had a great reputation’ concerning the quality of their courts.
The world No.1 was bemused about the state of Rome’s Centre Court throughout his roller-coaster win over Grigor Dimitrov in the third round on Sunday. Djokovic voiced his concerns to the umpire about its quality which prompted officials to water the area in a bid to improve it. At times both he and Dimitrov had to contend with bad ball bounces, as well as struggling with their footwork.
Speaking about his latest experience to reporters in his press conference, Djokovic believes a lack of play on the court leading up to the tournament could be one of the reasons for its quality issues. Djokovic added that he felt that the smaller Court 5, which he has conducted training sessions on, was better to play on due to it being used by others.
“Rome never had a great reputation for the quality of the court, to be honest,” Djokovic told reporters.
“I know all the guys who are taking care of the courts. I consider them friends. I’ve known them for 15 years, and I get along with them very well. I cannot blame them for this.’
“What is interesting would be to understand how much tennis they’re playing on the court actually before the tournament starts. I think the other year I was asking, and they were not playing much at all.’
“If you don’t use the court, and you have a clay court, these things happen. The court breaks. You have many holes. You have an uneven surface, really bad bounces and a lot of clay.”
Djokovic, who has won the Italian Open six times in his career, believes outside help could solve the problem based on his previous experience. Despite his criticism, the Serbian sits in second place for the most win achieved by a male player at the tournament after Rafael Nadal. This year he is bidding to reach the quarter-finals in Rome for the 17th time in his career.
“I remember maybe about 10 years, someone told me they brought Roland Garros people in, and that year the court was best,” Djokovic continued.
“I don’t know why they don’t call them again because they’re the best clay court specialists in the world.’
“Now there’s not much you can do. It’s just kind of covering the holes here and there. I guess that’s a reality that you just have to I guess accept. Hopefully, as the days pass and the tournament progresses, the court will get better.”
It is not the first time the Italian Open has come under fire over the condition of its facilities. Last week Sorana Cirstea demanded to speak with a tournament supervisor during her second round clash with Jelena Ostapenko that took place on the Grand Stand Arena. Speaking to the umpire, Cirstea was heard on camera saying ‘I don’t understand how they make us play on this court. It is unplayable.’
The Italian Open has not commented on Djokovic’s or Cirstea’s remarks.
