The World #1 Novak Djokovic has set his sights on a clean sweep for 2024 after failing to win the Australian Open earlier this year.
He is a top contender eyeing the Roland Garros’s final.
Djokovic has yet to have the best start to the 2024 calendar year. He’s struggled with form early in the year and has had a significant change in the form of his coach.
But the Serb is adjusting the sails to fit the busy schedule starting from Roland Garros, leading up to the Paris Olympics.
The world No. 1 skipped last month’s Madrid Masters and arrived early in Rome to continue preparing for the year’s second Grand Slam.
The Serb last competed in April at the Monte Carlo Masters, where he lost to Casper Ruud in the semifinals. The record 24-time Grand Slam champion is still seeking his first trophy of the season.
The 37-year-old, who split with longtime coach Goran Ivanisevic, is currently working with former doubles world No. 1 Nenad Zimonjic and said he was happy with his progress ahead of the French Open, which starts May 26.
“I also had plenty of time to rest and train,” Djokovic said. “I had a good training block. I arrived (in Rome) two days ago to get a hit on the center court; obviously, I stayed four to five days training before my first match with top players.
“It’s different when you train with them, play practice sets, see where your game is, and work towards the fine form for the first official match.
“I think I’m on a good route to peak at Roland Garros in Paris.”
Djokovic also parted ways with fitness coach Marco Panichi and said he had rehired Gebhard Gritsch as he targets success in the Grand Slams and the Paris Olympics.
“We know each other well,” he said. “That’s why I feel we’re synchronized from the very beginning in terms of what we want to do, how we want to approach the training program on and off the court. With Nenad as well.”
“I’m pleased with how the last 10-14 days went in terms of training, preparation, and looking ahead to this tournament, but particularly Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the Olympic Games.”
Sinner to Play only if 100%
Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner said on Sunday that he will only play at the French Open if he is fully fit. He was forced to withdraw from the Madrid Open last week with a hip injury.
“If I’m not feeling well, I’ll take more time off,” he said.
The World #2 was the highlight at the start of the year. Winning the Australian Open showed fans worldwide that a new generation of tennis players was coming. Carlos Alcaraz brought in the change, and Jannik Sinner carried the momentum.
But now, injuries are stopping him from making it to the Roland Garros. Tennis fans worldwide were already finding options for Roland Garros final tickets, with Sinner said to be a definitive finalist.
As the world number two in the ATP rankings, he wants to take advantage of the moment when Novak Djokovic, the world number one, isn’t winning as easily as he has in recent years. However, an injury to his right hip is causing him many problems.
These problems are holding him back. As quoted by AFP, the Australian Open champion said last Sunday that he won’t play in the French Open unless he’s completely healthy. He pulled out of the Italian Open this week.
The Italian announced his withdrawal from his home tournament in Rome on Saturday. He could not recover from a right hip injury, which forced him to withdraw from the Madrid Open. “I will only play at Roland Garros if I am 100 per cent fit,” Sinner told a press conference in Rome last Sunday after withdrawing against his compatriots.
“I don’t want to go into details (of the injury); at first, we thought it was nothing serious, but the tests showed something was wrong.
“One thing is for sure, if I’m not back to 100 percent, I’m going to take more time off because I don’t want to lose three years of my career,” he said.
Sinner doesn’t want to take risks that could lead to more physical problems, so he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself. “It hurts (not playing), but ensuring my body heals is the most important thing.”
Sinner added that he would be sidelined for “a week, a week and a half”, with a record of 28-2 this season. “My preparation for Paris won’t be optimal because I won’t have much time, but what is certain is that I will give everything to be able to play,” he said.
Sinner also did not play in the Italian Open. The tournament is always an important test before the second Grand Slam of the season, the French Open. However, he is not feeling well and doesn’t want to take risks, as his injury could worsen.
The French Open begins on May 26. Options for tickets including Roland Garros final tickets are already out and are in hot demand.
The 22-year-old was due to face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals of the Madrid tournament on Thursday, but he withdrew because of his hip problem. Although he’s not a clay-court specialist, Sinner would have been one of the favorites for the Rome tournament after an impressive start to the year.
He won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January. He then claimed his second Masters 1000 crown in Miami in March. He’s one of the players to beat and will be one of the favorites everywhere this year. Sinner joins world number three Carlos Alcaraz in withdrawing from the event in the Italian capital. The Spaniard suffered a right forearm injury in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
This situation, combined with Rafa Nadal’s ongoing problems, describes a difficult situation for the tennis players heading to Paris for the French Open and the Olympics. Injuries have come to dominate in one of the sport’s most important calendar years.