Djokovic says he is ready to peak at French Open
World number one Novak Djokovic said he believes he will be in
top form for the French Open and hopes to prove that at the Italian Open which
started on Wednesday.
The Serbian told a press conference
in Rome on Wednesday that his focus is on Paris, Wimbledon and the Olympic
Games and he had strategic reasons for skipping the recent Madrid event.
"It was not part of the
schedule. The plan was to come here. That's basically it," said Djokovic
at a press conference at the Italian Open.
Djokovic, who turns 37 on May 22,
just before the French Open gets underway on May 26, said he hoped to perform better
than he did in his last tournament, the Monte Carlo Masters, where he lost to
Casper Ruud in the semi-finals.
"I'm on a good route to peak
at Roland Garros in Paris," he said.
"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 top seed Djokovic, who has won
the Italian Open six times, has a bye in the first round. He said the expansion
of the event to nearly two weeks influenced scheduling choices.
"It's a different concept now,
the first time that Rome and Madrid are almost two-week events, like Indian
Wells, Miami.
"It gives you more time to
recover between matches if you keep going in the tournament, which I think is
useful for me."
As Djokovic continues to overhaul
his team, he has rehired former physio Miljan Amanovic for "certain
weeks" this season.
Amanovic worked for Djokovic from
2007 to 2017 and again from 2018 to 2022.
Djokovic has sacked several staff
in recent months, including coach Goran Ivanisevic and the publicity team.
"I'm a proponent of
having a quality team and entourage around you, having people who are experts
in their field, who have experience, who have knowledge, who also understand
psychology as well," he said.
"They know how to emotionally
approach you when you need help or when you need space.
"You spend a lot of time on
the tour together.
"You see them much more than
you see your family, especially when you're younger, when you're travelling
literally every single week of the year."
Want to send us a story? SMS to 25170 or WhatsApp 0743570000 or Submit on Citizen Digital or email wananchi@royalmedia.co.ke
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a Comment