"Ranking is not my priority anymore" - Novak Djokovic on his motivation amid threat of losing World No. 1 spot to Jannik Sinner at French Open 2024

Novak Djokovic recently discussed his motivation in light of the looming possibility of losing the World No. 1 spot to Jannik Sinner at the 2024 French Open. He stated that ranking is not his "priority" anymore as he feels satisfied with his performance in that area.

Djokovic recently competed at the 2024 Geneva Open, an ATP 250 clay court tournament, to prepare and gain match practice for the French Open. He defeated Yannick Hanfmann in the opening round and Tallon Griekspoor in the quarterfinals before succumbing to Tomas Machac in the semifinals. This year, the Serb will enter Roland Garros without a title to his name.

Djokovic's world ranking is at risk during the French Open, with Jannik Sinner closely trailing him in the race for the top spot. If the World No.1 fails to reach the semifinals at the clay court Major, Sinner will claim the top position in the ATP rankings. Even if the Serb manages to win the title, the Italian could still overtake him by making it to the championship match.

Speaking to the press, ahead of his title defense at the 2024 French Open, Novak Djokovic stated that competing in Grand Slam tournaments, the Olympics, and representing Serbia are his primary sources of motivation as it gives him "strength and desire" than any other tournaments.

“At Slams, there is still a lot of motivation. At other tournaments not so much, but Slams, playing for Serbia, Olympics… Those kinds of things still move me, still give me strength and desire. I mean, that really is sufficient at this point in my career, that’s why I still play professionally," he said [via tennismajors.com].

The 24-time Grand Slam champion also mentioned that ranking is no longer a top "priority" for him, as he is content with his achievements in that aspect.

"Ranking is not my priority anymore – whether I add one, five or ten more weeks, it doesn’t concern me, I think I’ve done pretty well in that department (smiling),” he added.

Novak Djokovic's expected path to French Open 2024 final

French Open 2024

Seeded first, Novak Djokovic will kick off his title defense at the 2024 French Open against wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the opening round.

The Serb may then go head-to-head with Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena in the second round, and potentially face Gael Monfils or 30th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the third round.

In the fourth round, the World No.1 could meet 14th seed Tommy Paul, and a quarterfinal showdown against last year's runner-up Casper Ruud or Taylor Fritz could be on the cards.

The semifinals could see Novak Djokovic up against Rafael Nadal or Alexander Zverev, leading to a potential final clash with Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz.