World No.1 Novak Djokovic is gearing up for the French Open and hopes to showcase his top form at the Italian Open, which kicked off on Wednesday. The Serbian tennis star, who turns 37 on May 22, just before the French Open begins on May 26, expressed his strategic decision to skip the recent Madrid event during a press conference in Rome.
Djokovic, a six-time Italian Open champion, emphasized his focus on Paris, Wimbledon, and the Olympic Games. He aims to perform better than his last tournament, the Monte Carlo Masters, where he suffered a defeat in the semifinals.
“I’m on a good route to peak at Roland Garros in Paris,” Djokovic stated. “Hopefully, here in Rome I can play better than I did in Monte-Carlo. The wish, obviously, is always to go far, but let’s see.”
As the top seed in the Italian Open, Djokovic received a bye in the first round. He highlighted the extended duration of the event, nearly two weeks, which influenced his scheduling choices and allows for better recovery between matches.
In addition to his on-court preparations, Djokovic has made changes to his coaching staff, rehiring former physio Miljan Amanovic for “certain weeks” this season. The tennis star emphasized the importance of having a quality team and entourage around him for support and guidance throughout his career.
As Djokovic continues to fine-tune his game and team, fans eagerly anticipate his performance at the Italian Open and look forward to seeing him in action at the upcoming Grand Slam events.