Djokovic on his unexpected defeat in Geneva: “Of course I’m worried” | ATP Tour

Novak Djokovic

Djokovic on his unexpected defeat in Geneva: “Of course I’m worried”

The Serbian will now take part in Roland Garros.

May 24, 2024

Novak Djokovic made his hopes clear for the 2024 Roland Garros after Tomas Maszak’s disappointing semi-final exit at the Gonet Geneva Open on Friday: I’m not the favorite and I have work to do.

After accepting a surprise invitation to the ATP 250 tournament in the hope of regaining his health ahead of his title defense in Paris, Djokovic leaves Switzerland with question marks over his form and fitness after battling an upset stomach over the last two days.

“Of course I’m worried… I haven’t played very well at all this year,” Djokovic said when asked about his hopes of breaking his title drought in 2024 at Roland Garros.

“(I had) a few (good) games here and there, but it is what it is. You have to accept it. I don’t consider myself a favorite there. I’ll take it game by game and see how far I can go.”

The 24-time major champion called a doctor to the court at the end of the first set. He then forced a third in which he eventually faded.

When asked if his stomach problem was related to something he ate, Djokovic replied: “Today I had terrible feelings with my stomach and my health… It wasn’t a very good night, and today too.”

“But I don’t want to take anything away from his victory, he deserved it. Honestly, I don’t know what to think about this match. “I want to forget about it and go to Paris.”

Djokovic, who turned 37 on Wednesday when he became the third player in the Open era with at least 1,100 wins, has a modest 14-6 record on the year as he begins his quest for a fourth and third Roland Garros title. in four years.

“It was nice to be able to come here and play more than one game. I played three,” Djokovic said. “I just need to feel better. It’s not fun to suffer like this on the court. You can’t concentrate on tennis when you have other things to do. I just hope I can be fit and ready for Roland Garros.”

With Djokovic reaching 2,000 points in Paris, he needs to reach the Roland Garros semi-finals to have a chance of remaining world number one on Monday after the tournament. Jannik Sinner, who has just 45 points left to defend in the French capital after losing in the second round last year, will start the tournament as number 1 in the live PIF ATP rankings. To be officially declared the No. 1 player in the world, a player must be ranked No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Djokovic will begin his 20th Roland Garros campaign against France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert. He is eligible to face Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals. The Norwegian defeated Djokovic at the start of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters clay tour.