PARIS: Novak Djokovic has played six tournaments in 2024, including an ATP 250 Series event last week, but the superstar Serb hasn’t made a final so far this year.
The world No.1 is coming into Roland Garros with ‘low expectations and high hopes’.
“I feel embarrassed to say what my expectations are, anything (short of the title) is not satisfactory. It has always been like that. It might sound arrogant, but I think I have the career that backs it up,” said the 24-time major winner. “Me playing at this highest level is to write more history and win the biggest titles, Paris is definitely one of them.”
“That's why my hopes and goals are always the same, but I have to lower the expectations,” he explained. “When I say that I mean not thinking too much ahead, who I might face in later rounds, but really taking it day by day, step by step, and really building my game. That's what I’ve been struggling with, not really playing at a consistently good level.”
Djokovic, who parted ways with his long-standing coach Goran Ivanisevic in March, compared his relatively early exits in tournaments this year to ‘bumps on the road’.
“I’ve always looked ahead at what is the next challenge, and what it takes for me to be better than I was last week,” said the 37-year-old Serb, who goes up against French wildcard entrant Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the first round on Tuesday. “That's the mindset I have. That probably won't stop until I stop playing professional tennis.”
Given that Djokovic is coming into the clay court major short on form and that his younger rivals Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are coming back from injuries, the men’s draw wears a dramatically open look.
“I know what my qualities are. I know what I'm capable of. If I have the right conditions in terms of the way I feel physically, mentally, game-wise, then of course you need some luck against the best players in the world, that things come together and you win a Slam. I've experienced that 24 times in my career.”
“I know exactly what I need to do in a Grand Slam environment or Grand Slam competition,” said Djokovic, flexing the champion’s edge. “It's a whole different type of tournament than the others we have on the calendar.”
