by Vincent Daheron
PARIS, May 26 (Reuters) – World number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic approaches Roland-Garros 2024 in full doubt and without the slightest final played before the French Open for only the second time since 2007.
The Serbian is coming out of another surprising elimination, Friday, in the semi-finals of the ATP 250 tournament in Geneva against the Czech Tomas Machac, 44th in the world (6-4, 0-6, 6-1).
“Low expectations and high hopes,” declared the Serb on Sunday at a press conference, while he will face Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert (142nd in the world) on Tuesday for his entry into the running.
“I’m almost embarrassed to announce my expectations. Anything other than a title is unsatisfactory for me. It’s always been like that. I know it might sound arrogant to a lot of people but I think I I have the career to bear witness to that.”
“I know what I’m capable of, especially in Grand Slams where I normally play my best tennis, or at least I always try to play my best tennis and I’ve been able to do that for most of my career , so that’s the goal,” he added.
In recent weeks, after a withdrawal from the Masters 1000 in Madrid, he lost in Rome against the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, 24th in the world (6-2, 6-3) and, therefore, Thomas Machac.
“It’s as if another player had stepped into my shoes. Completely off base. It’s a bit worrying,” he reacted after his defeat in Rome, two days after having unfortunately received the water bottle from a spectator on the head.
“A lot has happened in recent months but I don’t want to go into details,” he said on Sunday. “I hope you understand. I just don’t want to open Pandora’s box.”
“Of course it affects me, the five months I’ve had so far haven’t been good in terms of tennis.”
Since the start of the season, Novak Djokovic has notably changed his long-standing coaching staff. He separated successively from his trainer Goran Ivanisevic and his physical trainer Marco Panichi with whom he had worked respectively for five and ten years.
The last time that Nole – his nickname – presented himself at Roland-Garros without the slightest final on the ATP circuit, in 2018, he was eliminated in the quarter-finals by the Italian Marco Cecchinato (6-3, 7- 6, 1-6, 7-6). (Reporting by Vincent Daheron, editing by Elizabeth Pineau)
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