Djokovic admits he is not in good shape

France's Novak Djokovic admits he was not well prepared for Roland Garros, but is still confident in his chances of winning this year's tournament.

* Djokovic – Kovacevic: 6:15 p.m. Monday, May 29, Hanoi time.

"I didn't have the perfect preparation before the tournament," Djokovic said in a sideline interview with Eurosport on May 28. "But this is definitely where I want to be at the top. I hope to play well to make that happen."

Djokovic during a practice session at Roland Garros on May 28. Photo: Eurosport — Djokovic during a practice session at Roland Garros on May 28. Photo: *Eurosport*

Djokovic has won Roland Garros twice in his 22 Grand Slam titles. If he wins this year, he will have a record 23 titles before entering his favorite Grand Slam at Wimbledon next month.

The world number three has yet to win 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, and then lost in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters. In each of these tournaments, Djokovic was defeated by players his age, such as Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune.

"I think Roland Garros is a completely different tournament because of the five-set format," Djokovic added of the Paris Grand Slam. "The pressure is also bigger here, because of the size of the tournament. I think I have experience, that's an advantage. I'm aiming for the title but I know I have to go step by step."

Djokovic will begin his journey against American Aleksandar Kovacevic in the first round today, May 29. This is Kovacevic's first Grand Slam match, while Djokovic has played 388 matches at this level and is aiming for his 86th victory at Roland Garros.

This year's Roland Garros is seen as a match between Djokovic and young talents after Rafael Nadal withdrew. The Serbian tennis player regretted that his peers could not participate in the tournament. He said: "Nadal's absence is an irreparable loss for Roland Garros as well as tennis in general. Nadal is a great champion, the person I want to meet the most on this court."

Alongside Djokovic, the other top seed in action today is Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard plays Flavio Cobolli, while Jannik Sinner takes on Alexandre Muller. The most anticipated match is between 10th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and veteran Fabio Fognini.

Vy Anh

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