Novak Djokovic makes startling confession after another shock defeat
Novak Djokovic admits he is ‘worried’ heading into the French Open, as he struggled to explain his latest shock defeat on the ATP Tour.
Djokovic stunned most tennis observers when he accepted a wild card into the Geneva Open, with the manner of his defeat against Tomas Machac leaving huge question marks over the Serbian as he now heads to Paris.
Machac captured the biggest win of his career as a 6-4 0-6 6-1 victory saw him reach his first final at the Geneva Open, with Djokovic appearing to throw away the match in the third set as he gave real signs that he didn’t have the stomach for the battle.
Djokovic broke for a 3-1 lead and seemed in command in the first set, but his Czech opponent – who had pushed him hard in Dubai last year before losing – stepped on the gas to win five successive games.
The second set was a different story as Djokovic produced several superb forehand winners to level the match in style.
Djokovic won the opening game of the deciding set, but it was downhill after that as another surge from Machac proved unstoppable.
The match ended with Djokovic flailing wildly at shots and appearing to be keen to confirm his exit, with his thoughts already turning to the French Open in Paris.
But it is clear that this is not the kind of form he hopes to display in Geneva, with the 24-time Grand Slam champion failing to hide his concern after another erratic display.
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“Of course I’m worried. I haven’t played well at all this year, apart from a few matches here and there,” said Djokovic.
“Things are what they are. I don’t see myself as a favorite in Paris. I will try to take the matches one after the other.
“I didn’t have a great night, and today was tough. I had horrible feelings during the first part of the match. I don’t want to take any credit away from Tomas (Machac), who deserved his victory, but I don’t know what to think of this match. I prefer to forget it.
“I don’t know how I was able to win the second set either. I was hoping to play more than one match when I came here, and I played three. But I wish I could feel better.
“It’s not nice to suffer like that on the court. It’s hard to concentrate on tennis when you have other things on your mind. I just hope to be ready and in good health for Roland-Garros.”
The theory that Djokovic always finds a way to be compeititve at a Grand Slam tournament has been backed up time and again over the last 15 years by his brilliance on the game’s biggest stagaes.
Yet there is no doubt that this is unchartered territory for a champion who is not used to losing against lower ranked players.
His match against Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the first round of the French Open would normally be considered to be a routine outing for a champion who turned 37 last Wednesday.
Yet this is a version of Djokovic we are not used to seeing and his former coach Boris Becker is among those worried by the performances he is serving up.
“Novak is not playing well and we are not used to seeing him like this, but do not write him off,” said Becker.
“He has not forgotten how to play tennis, of course not, but he is only playing for the majors now and trying to cover the time in between with a few tournaments is tough, but I think he will get his mojo back.
“He is coming back to Roland Garros, where he won last year and it’s always good to go back to somewhere where you have won last year.
“I know he hasn’t won this year, but he has won 24 majors so everyone will see a different Novak Djokovic when the first round starts at Roland Garros, I’m sure about that.”
