Novak Djokovic injury concern raised that could threaten his French Open dreams
Novak Djokovic confirmed he still has all his fighting qualities in tact as he bounced back from losing the first set of his first round match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the French Open, but will he be derailed by a long-running injury problem.
Djokovic’s preparation for Roland Garros was impacted by what he described as an ‘ongoing injury’, which meant he played just one match at the Rome Masters before playing in the second Grand Slam of 2026.
The 24-time Grand Slam-winning great was pushed onto the back foot by big serving Frenchman Perricard in the first set and a half of his match, before he found his form and claimed four set win.
While Djokovic has not opened up on the injury that has been troubling him in recent weeks, he gave a hint that his right shoulder may be the issue when he removed his shirt at the end of the second set against Perricard.
That revealed he had heavy taping on the shoulder, which may well have revealed the source of his concern.
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Now former British No 1 Greg Rusedski, who is currently coaching Perricard, has suggested Djokovic did well to perform at the levels her reached despite that injury concern.
“I was watching his warm-up and he was having a few shoulder issues,” said Rusedski on his podcast.
“There was the physio giving him a massage and trying to sort it out and he wasn’t hitting his serve so big in the beginning, even though his accuracy was quite exceptional.
“We were happy with the way things went for Giovanni and we had a chance to get it into a tie-break after winning the first set, but by the end of the match, it felt like we had played him into form.
“You don’t want to give him a rhythm as much as possible and you keep him off balance, but he raised his game in the third and fourth sets.”
Jannik Sinner’s presence in the draw will make Djokovic’s hope of a 25th Grand Slam title in Paris tough to achieve, with Rusedski suggesting he will have big tests before he reaches a possible final against the world No 1.
“Novak can build into a Slam and find his best tennis,” added Rusedski. “You’d expect him to get through his second round and then he’s gonna have another big test in the third round, possibly against Joao Fonseca.
“Anything can happen. Conditions are hot. It’s humid. We saw Sinner cramp in Rome. We saw him cramp in Shanghai. It’s stinking hot during the day here in Paris.
“It is not easy conditions to play for people playing in the day. And, you know, the big names get the scheduling they want. So I have a feeling Jannick might be playing some evening sessions if he wants. Right now, Jannik is the big favorite.”
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