Novak Djokovic needs to play at least 10-12 matches before Roland Garros to be one of the contenders: Alex Corretja

Alex Corretja believes Novak Djokovic needs to make a big effort physically in order to be ready for the 2022 French Open. The former World No. 2 feels the Serb may need to play 10 to 12 matches ahead of Roland Garros to get his game in order.

Djokovic was upset by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round of the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters last week. The World No. 1 revealed in his post-match press conference that he "ran out of gas completely" in the third set.

The 34-year-old was competing for the first time since losing to Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships in February.

Djokovic is currently in action against countryman Laslo Djere in the second round of the 2022 Serbia Open, an ATP 250 tournament.

Speaking to Eurosport, two-time Roland Garros runner-up Corretja stressed the importance of Djokovic gaining match practice to rediscover his rhythm.

"Novak, like everybody else, needs time," Corretja said. "He needs to be patient because he hasn't played for such a long time. And even if he was not injured, he’s [got a] lack of rhythm, he needs to play matches, he needs to be in those sorts of moments when you are break point down and you know how to serve in that moment. These situations when you don't play, you miss these moments when you have everything automatic - all of a sudden you need to think again."

The Spaniard then declared that the defending French Open champion will need to get stronger physically to be ready to contend in Paris this year.

"So I think he will need matches, he will need to get through those kind of moments and rallies where he will feel like his heart is going out of his mouth, but he will need to recover from that," Corretja continued. "I think physically he needs to make a big effort, your legs need to be stronger on clay, they need to get bigger because you need to slide from side-to-side."

"You need to play rallies maybe of 30 to 40 shots and you need to recover from that," Corretja added. "So I think he will need to play at least maybe 10 or 12 matches before Roland Garros to really be ready and feel like he's going to be one of the contenders. I'm sure that by the time Paris comes, Novak will be ready for that."

"Clay - even though he is an unbelievable player on it - is not his natural surface" - Alex Corretja on Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters

Alex Corretja also referenced the difficult start to 2022 Novak Djokovic has experienced, alluding to his COVID-19 vaccination status preventing him from competing regularly. The Spaniard also assessed why clay can be a challenging surface for the Serb when he is short on matches.

"We need to understand he's been through so much pressure in the last months for many issues and it's not easy for him to deal with all those situations," Corretja said. "And clay - even [though] he is an unbelievable player on it - is not his natural surface. His serve is not as big as on hard courts. So he's not counting on so many quick points with the serve."

"His forehand is good, but it's not as great as on hard courts where the ball can get through the court and his backhand is unbelievable because it's very flat and from side-to-side, but at the same time you need to be very precise to play well on clay," Corretja added. "So [there are] a lot of adjustments he needs to find through the tournaments and it's important for him to play those matches to get the confidence back and especially the mindset to know - 'OK, I am back on tour and I need to do this to become a champion again at Roland Garros'."

Djokovic is a two-time French Open champion, having claimed the Paris crown in 2016 and 2021. The 34-year-old's triumph in last year's Roland Garros final made him the first man in the Open Era to complete the Double Career Grand Slam.