Novak Djokovic was all smiles as he arrived in Paris to participate in the French Open 2024, set to be held from May 26 to June 9. The Serb has won 24 Grand Slam singles titles and is still going strong at the age of 37.
Djokovic is also the defending champion at Roland Garros this year and expectations from the veteran will be high. The Serb will look to make a deep run in the Claycourt Major as he is in danger of losing his World No. 1 ranking.
If Djokovic exits the tournament before the final, Italy’s Jannik Sinner would displace him as the top-ranked player on the ATP circuit. Djokovic is set to participate in the French Open after recently crashing out of the Geneva Open where he lost to Tomas Machac.
Novak Djokovic is set to start his campaign at Roland Garros against Pierre-Hughes Herbert in the first round on Monday, May 27. The official 'X' account of French Open uploaded a video where he was seen with a broad smile on his face as he received a heartwarming welcome in Paris.
Watch the video below:
"I am worried" - Novak Djokovic ahead of French Open title defense
After losing to Machac, Djokovic admitted that he has been out of sorts for quite some time and has not played his best tennis by any means. Djokovic has not won a title this year and the French Open is a chance for him to show why he is regarded as one of the greats of the game.
On the back of some underwhelming performance, Djokovic said that he is worried about his performance at Roland Garros.
"Of course I am worried... I haven't been playing good at all this year. I have a lot to work on. I’m going to take it match by match and see how far I can go," Djokovic told the reporters, as quoted by India Today.
During the match against Machac, Djokovic was facing some discomfort as his hands were seen shaking. The seasoned campaigner said that he has not felt better of late and has not been himself on the court. Djokovic, however, sounded hopeful of finding his feet soon and put forward a strong show in the French Open.
"I just need to feel better. It’s not enjoyment when you are suffering on the court feeling this way," he said.
"You're not able to focus on tennis when you have other stuff happening. I just hope I can be fit and ready and prepared for Roland Garros," Djokovic added.
Having spent over 400 weeks on top of the rankings, Djokovic would want to hold on to the pole position at the end of the French Open.
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