Novak Djokovic will be 'completely different' at French Open despite Monte-Carlo loss: Andrey Rublev

Novak Djokovic will find his best form the more he plays on clay in the build-up to the 2023 French Open, believes Andrey Rublev. The World No. 6 opined that the Serbian great's surprise loss to Lorenzo Musetti in the Round of 16 at the Monte-Carlo Masters was not alarming as he is still adapting to clay courts.

Djokovic will compete at the Srpska Open in Banja Luka next week before then playing at the Madrid Masters, where he reached the semifinals in 2022, and the Italian Open, which he won last season. He will then search for his 23rd Grand Slam singles title at the French Open.

Come the business end of the clay season, the Serbian will be a "completely different" player, Rublev feels.

"When he goes to play Slams or next Masters after first one on clay, because it's tough, you don't have much time, everyone adapt different. But then with the time, with a few more weeks, I don't know, or Rome or Madrid or Roland Garros, it will be also a completely different Djokovic," Rublev said in a press conference after winning his quarterfinal at Monte-Carlo on Friday.

Rublev, who beat Djokovic 6-2, 6-7, 6-0 in last year's Serbia Open final in what was the Serbian star's second tournament on clay in 2022, highlighted the result of that match and a "basically impossible" deciding set scoreline to show that Djokovic, like other players, also takes time to get used to a new surface.

"In the same time I was not surprised, because sometimes happens to Novak those things, like also the same, when I played him last year final in Serbia, that I won the match and I won 6-0 in the third, which is basically impossible happen somewhere else. Sometimes it happens," Rublev explained.

Meanwhile, Rublev will face American No. 1 Taylor Fritz in the Monte-Carlo Masters semifinals on Saturday.

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"To beat Novak, you need to have level" - Andrey Rublev praises Lorenzo Musetti for securing win over Novak Djokovic

Lorenzo Musetti after beating the World No. 1 at the 2023 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

Andrey Rublev showered praise on Lorenzo Musetti for producing a very high level of tennis against Novak Djokovic. Musetti, who stretched the Serb to five sets in their very first meeting at the 2021 French Open, got his first win against the 22-time Grand Slam champion on his fourth attempt. Rublev expressed his delight for Musetti, saying that the Italian youngster deserved such a monumental victory.

"I mean, I can only say bravo to Musetti, because to beat Novak, you need to have level to beat him," Rublev said.

"For Musetti, I'm only happy because he played amazing match and he deserve it," he added.

The Serbian star was nursing an arm injury throughout his Monte-Carlo Masters campaign and had his right arm strapped during the match against Musetti. It later came to light that he suffered the injury during a training session before the tournament started.

Meanwhile, Musetti will face fellow Italian Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals.