Novak Djokovic gives Champons League hint to organisers and reveals ‘unpleasant process’
Novak Djokovic is hoping the French Open scheduling gods smile down on him ahead of his next match while he has also given an update on his injury.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner booked his place in the third round with a relatively straightforward win over Corentin Moutet, winning 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7-1).
The biggest concern for Djokovic was in the third set as he took a medical timeout to receive treatment on blisters on his foot.
The sixth seed admits it took him a long time to deal with the bleeding, but he feels he should be good to go for his third-round encounter against qualifier Filip Misolic.
“The recovery time is not much longer, I feel like. I mean, I’m pretty fit at the moment. I don’t feel like I have any major issues,” the three-time Roland Garros winner.
“Although it took me almost an hour to deal with the blister and the bleeding that I had. So that was not really a pleasant process.
“But I don’t think it’s going to be an issue for me to recover. [The] good thing about Slams, obviously you have a day in between, so plenty of time to recover and get ready for [the] next one.”
Saturday is a big day for Parisians as PSG will play in the Champions League final against Inter Milan in Munich, Germany, and Djokovic has made a tongue-in-cheek suggestion to organisers.
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His match against Misolic is also scheduled for Saturday, but he is hoping to avoid the evening session at Roland Garros.
“It’s going to be PSG that I will support. I will definitely watch it if I’m not playing [the] night session,” he said.
The Serbian added with a smile: “Yeah, that will be nice. FYI, Roland Garros schedule…”
As one of the all-time greats, Djokovic’s matches are usually scheduled on the main Court Philippe-Chatrier, but his clash against Moutet took place on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
To boot, the match was played with a closed roof.
“It’s nothing we, as tennis players, aren’t used to day after day. We know that this constant adaptation exists, that every day can be completely different,” he said.
“Clay is a ‘living’ surface, so to speak: it responds and reacts to any change in temperature, weather, wind, everything. You have to be constantly alert and flexible enough to adapt.
“It works the same for both of us, and it’s demanding, no doubt about it. It’s something we’re also used to in Paris; the weather is quite unpredictable.
“It can be very cold or very hot, which affects the bounce of the ball and how it flies through the air. It also depends on who you’re playing against. You have to be ready for anything.”
