Djokovic expresses concern before beginning French Open competition.
Following a disapointing clay court season thus far, Novak Djokovic approaches the French Open with a sense of unease. The previous kingpin on the scene is no longer the favorite. Should things not go well, the Serbian ace risks losing his spot at the top of the world rankings.
Novak Djokovic, the tennis god who has bagged 24 Grand Slam titles to his name, is now facing a fresh challenge. Despite a lackluster performance across the clay court season, Djokovic expresses concern about his lack of success this year, saying "I'm certainly not the favorite. I'm going to take it one match at a time and see how far I can get." The Serbian superstar will open against Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the initial round.
Djokovic suffered an uninspiring defeat to Czech newbie Tomas Machac in the semifinals at Geneva's tournament, with a 4:6, 6:0, 1:6 loss. Exacerbating matters, Djokovic took a medical break during the match, citing a stomach ache and health issues. "I was dreading my gut and my overall well-being," Djokovic confessed.
The holder of the French Open title has yet to grab a title for the year. To defend his position in the world rankings, Djokovic needs to at least reach the semifinals at Stade Roland Garros, considering he has 2,000 points at stake due to his win at last year's event. Australian Open victor Jannik Sinner from Italy stands poised to unseat Djokovic as the number one, potentially taking his crown by the end of the tournament.
Djokovic's eternal foe Rafael Nadal also finds himself in a difficult position as he enters the French Open. Though the 14-time French Open champion has experienced a rebound in his form after a stellar clay court season, he'll face the Italian maestro Alexander Zverev in the first round. Zverev was quite the talk of Paris after his heroics at the Masters tournament in Rome, where he claimed the prestigious trophy.
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Source: www.ntv.de
