Novak Djokovic admits to playing well below his level in Banja Luka loss but hopes to improve before French Open

Despite a shaky start to the clay season, Novak Djokovic remains optimistic about getting back to his best by the time the 2023 French Open begins. Djokovic draws confidence from the fact that it took him a while to start playing well on the red dirt last year.

At the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters, the Serb lost to Lorenzo Musetti in the third round even after taking the first set. He then arrived in Banja Luka for the ATP 250 Srpska Open, where he fell short in the quarterfinals against his countryman Dusan Lajovic, who beat his senior 6-4, 7-6(6).

In a press conference, the 22-time Grand Slam champion admitted to not playing at his best and stated that he was struggling physically.

“The loss is due to a combination of many things," Djokovic said. "He played very well, very solid, and I was a couple of levels below what was expected. I can’t win against opponents who are so solid on this surface with this game. I didn’t even feel good physically on the court, I felt slow, with sluggish legs, I missed a lot of balls, and was totally out of shot. At times I played well, but well below my level."

With his focus locked on the second Major of the year, the 35-year-old recalled the 2022 season to draw similarities.

"It's no secret that you prepare and train for Roland Garros. The same thing happened last year, I had a very slow start to the tour and I started to play better towards the end of the tour," he added.

In 2022, Djokovic got bagelled during his loss against Andrey Rublev in the final in Belgrade. He then gradually increased his level as he reached the semifinals in Madrid, where Carlos Alcaraz beat him in a closely-fought contest. The World No. 1 lifted his sixth Italian Open title and won four matches in straight sets at the French Open before Rafael Nadal stopped him in the quarterfinals.

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Novak Djokovic heaps praise on Dusan Lajovic

Novak Djokovic (L) and Dusan Lajovic

Dusan Lajovic registered the biggest win of his career by defeating Novak Djokovic in Banja Luka on Friday (April 21). After the match, Djokovic remarked that he had known his compatriot for many years and revealed why Lajovic plays well on clay.

"Dusan is a fantastic guy, a great person whom I have known for a long time," he said. "We have played together many times in Davis Cup and this is a very important victory, I know that the last 12 months have not been easy for him at all."

"In some moments when he had to, he played more aggressive. He has been playing very well on clay all his life, they are the foundation of his tennis. Mentally, he remained very strong, it is an improvement compared to our previous duels," he added.

Novak Djokovic will next play at the 2023 Madrid Open, beginning on April 26.