Novak Djokovic has been told he should consider skipping this year’s French Open, but will the Serbian legend heed the advice given by two former British No 1s?
Djokovic had to pull out of the Miami Open last month due to injury, and reached the fourth round at the Indian Wells Masters, there.
He is also out of the Monte Carlos Masters next week, with his next tournament appearance uncertain as he looks to plot his best route to a 25th Grand Slam title in 2026.
While the legend of Serbia has made it clear that he is looking at the main title of the addition of the record as one of the main goals of his amazing career, there is a strong opinion among many observers that his best chance to achieve the goal that will take him to the front of Margaret Court in the all-time list of major winners may not reach Roland Garros.
He may be a three-time champion at Roland Garros and also win the prestigious Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the clay courts are unlikely to be the path to that last major milestone in his career.
More Tennis news
Novak Djokovic schedule: Sports director reveals tennis great ‘enthusiastic’ to play key clay event
Monte Carlo Masters withdrawal list: Some players join Novak Djokovic on the sidelines
The association of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner has challenged Djokovic for the past few years, with his strong defeat against the Sinner in Paris last June proof of the mountain he will have to beat the two highest players in the world on clay.
That has prompted former British No 1 Tim Henman to suggest that Djokovic should focus all his energy on what could be a final assault on Wimbledon in the European summer.
“I’ll be interested to see how he plays on clay,” Henman said. “That’s the most physical area. Will he play something in front of the French? Are you going to play French at all? What will you focus on? To know who.
I can see a situation where he doesn’t play in Paris, but let’s see.
Henman’s former Davis Cup teammate Greg Rusedski echoed similar sentiments, as he urged Djokovic to give up his ambitions for a potential eighth Wimbledon title.
“The French Open, I feel like he didn’t catch him because of the body, but for all Djokovic fans, what a week it has been,” Rusedski said on his podcast.
“He beat Moetsalibe at the Grand Slam this year and beat Alcaraz at the Australian Open last year.
“The problem is, I haven’t been able to do it lately. It’s still a problem that is difficult to solve when you’re 38 years old and the body doesn’t go back like we saw when Carlos was very young. He was like an elastic.
“The thing I’m wondering is, is Djokovic going to skip the French Open and play Wimbledon this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.”
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred Google resource to your list of tennis matches you can trust.
Despite the advice of two British tennis players, Djokovic is unlikely to miss the second Grand Slam of the year, as he will still believe that the draw can open for him if bad luck or a terrible defeat is given to defend the champion of Roland Garros Alcaraz or the player he beat at the end of last year’s draw, the Italian world No 2 Sinner.
The logical plan for the player who will be 39 when he plays Wimbledon this summer may be to rest his body and prepare for the grass court season, but Djokovic will be reluctant to miss what could be his last shot at glory in Paris.
READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic can’t be called the Goat of tennis, says former Wimbledon champion
#Novak #Djokovic #ready #pull #French #Open