Djokovic admits not in good shape
* Djokovic – Kovacevic: 18:15 Monday, May 29, Hanoi time.
"I didn't prepare perfectly before the tournament," Djokovic said in an interview on the sidelines of Roland Garros with Eurosport on May 28. "But for sure this is where I want to get to the top. I hope to play well to make that happen."
Djokovic won Roland Garros twice in the 22 Grand Slam collection. If crowned this year, he will monopolize a record of 23 titles before entering his forte Grand Slam at Wimbledon next month.
The number three player in the world has not won a title on clay this season. He lost early in Monte Carlo, was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Srpska Open, withdrew from the Madrid Open with an elbow injury, before losing in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters. In these tournaments, Djokovic was defeated by juniors his age like Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune.
"I think Roland Garros is a completely different tournament because of the five-set format," Djokovic added of the Grand Slam in Paris. "The pressure here is also greater, because of the size of the tournament. I think I have experience, which is an advantage. I am aiming for the title but I know I have to go step by step."
Djokovic will start his journey with a match against American Aleksandar Kovacevic in the first round today, May 29. This is Kovacevic's first time playing a Grand Slam, while Djokovic has gone 388 matches at this level and is headed for his 86th victory at Roland Garros.
This year's Roland Garros is seen as Djokovic's match with young talents after the withdrawal of Rafael Nadal. The Serbian tennis player regretted that his peers could not attend the tournament. He said: "The absence of Nadal is an irreparable loss for Roland Garros as well as for tennis in general. Nadal is a great champion, the person I want to meet the most on this court."
Besides Djokovic, the other top seed also competing today is Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard played Flavio Cobolli, while Jannik Sinner faced Alexandre Muller. The most intense match is expected to take place between 10th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and veteran tennis player Fabio Fognini.
