A bit of pessimism has begun to circulate about Novak Djokovic's participation in Roland Garros, especially since the former world number 1 made official his decision not to play the Rome Masters 1000 (a tournament in which he had always taken part since 2007).
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was extremely disappointed with his performances in Monte Carlo and Madrid, where he failed to get past a single round, losing decisively to both Alejandro Tabilo and Matteo Arnaldi.
The Serbian legend confessed that he did not have high expectations for these two tournaments, but he expected something more and did not rule out having played perhaps his last match in the Spanish capital. Among the three Major tournaments that are still missing this season, the French Open is doubtful the least suitable for Nole's game (who struggles to play his best tennis on red clay at almost 38 years old).
For this reason, the 37-year-old from Belgrade could choose to give up Roland Garros and begin his preparation for the Wimbledon Championships where he also reached the final last year (despite having undergone knee surgery just a month earlier).
Fleming talks about Djokovic
In a recent interview, former world number 17 Colin Fleming expressed an interesting opinion on Novak's current status: "It's no secret that he no longer has the right motivation to shine in tournaments like Monte Carlo and Madrid at this point in his career. For this reason he chose not to play in Rome, because he knows that he has to find the best sensations in time for Roland Garros and he needs to practice hard.
Djokovic can still be dangerous in Grand Slam tournaments and he proved it in Australia, raising his level as the rounds went by and beating young Spaniard Carlitos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals after a tough battle. He is not going through a brilliant moment, but I do not rule out that he could win his 25th Slam and his 100th title."
