Novak Djokovic is back this week in Belgrade, his hometown, to play an ATP 250 tournament on clay where he will seek to get closer to his best form after his failure in Monte Carlo, with Roland-Garros in his sights.
“
Clay requires more time spent on the pitch, in training and in matches.
I hope I will play more matches than in Monte-Carlo
,” the Serb, who lost his first meeting of the year on ocher last week in the Principality to the Spaniard, told the press on Monday. Alejandro Davidovich, future finalist.
Read alsoTennis: "I couldn't move", Djokovic physically collapsed in Monte-Carlo
It was only his fourth game of the season on all surfaces after three in Dubai in February.
At the start of the year, he was prevented from playing the Australian Open because of his refusal of the anti-covid vaccination.
The Serbian Open takes place from April 18 to 24 on the courts of the “
Novak
” tennis center, located on the banks of the Danube, in the heart of Belgrade.
Alongside the world No.1, the main headliners are Russian Andrey Rublev (world No.8) and Austrian Dominic Thiem, who has not played on the big circuit since June 2021 due to a wrist injury.
After Belgrade, where he will aim for a third title, Djokovic could continue his preparation for Roland-Garros at the Masters 1000 in Madrid and Rome.
“
It will depend to some extent on my journey here and my form.
We will decide after this week
,” he said.
The Serb often had a difficult start on clay.
Since his second title in Monte-Carlo in 2015, he has not gone beyond the quarterfinals in the first major meeting of the ocher season.
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