Posted by Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday May 21, 2024
The Roland-Garros main draw starts in five days, too Novak Djokovic he has not arrived at the premises. That’s because the World No.1 is in Geneva, where he will face Yannick Hanfmann in the second round of the Geneva Open on Wednesday evening.
Djokovic, 12-5 this season and who still does not have an ATP title to his name, says he is in Geneva because he needs matches to feel he is ahead of this year’s French Open.
It’s not the usual warm-up for Roland-Garros, but Djokovic believes that this year, given the conditions, is the right preparation.
“The reason I chose to come and play is because I feel like right now, there is no better practice for me than playing a match,” said Djokovic, who claimed his 1,000th ATP win. “I feel like I need more games, even if it’s one, two, three, four games hopefully. It’s good for me, because that’s how I tried to get the kind of form I need at Roland-Garros.”
The defending champion will bid for his fourth title in the French capital next week, but before doing so, he would like to add a 99th title in Geneva.
𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 🔥🔥🔥
⏰ Not before 6pm!#gontgenevaopen #atpgva #joko #djokovic #hanfmann #atp #tennistv #travel #geneva #geneve #sorrow #Switzerland #genevaevent #tennis #welovetennis #loveoftennis #tennisfan #tennislife #tennis time pic.twitter.com/xclP8qsW0q
– Gonet Geneva Open (@genevaopen) May 21, 2024
For Djokovic right now, it’s all about getting ready for the grind of the best five matches, and the 36-year-old feels better about playing the tournament than heading to Paris for practice.
It’s been a tumultuous season for the Grand Slam king. He parted ways with a longtime coach Goran Ivanisevic in March, before changing fitness coaches last month.
Now working for the second time with fitness coach Gebhard Gritsch after parting ways with Marco Panichi, Djokovic is putting an emphasis on building strength and endurance as he bids for a 25th major title.
“In terms of fitness, I’ve spent a little time with my new fitness coach to get fit, build up the physical strength and the skills I need to play the top five Grand Slam you want, which is clay,” said Djokovic. “So I hope to get more than one match here in Geneva, a goal and then we’ll see what happens in Paris.”
