(Rome) Novak Djokovic is exactly where he wants to be after a poor start to the clay season.
He’s back at the Rome Masters — the very place where he enjoyed his most career success on clay.
The Serb has won six times in Rome, in addition to being runners-up on six other occasions.
“Historically, since the beginning of my career, Rome has always been a very profitable tournament for me,” Djokovic recalled Thursday. I hope again that it will be a springboard for me towards Paris, where I would like to be at my best. »
The French Open, the major tournament that is presented on clay, will begin at the end of the month, and Djokovic will be hoping to win a third career title there with his conquests of 2016 and 2021.
Djokovic is back in training after a three-week break which saw him tend to a slow-healing right elbow injury.
In his last two tournaments on clay, the world No. 1 was ousted early.
He lost in the round of 16 to Lorenzo Musetti at the Mont-Carlo Masters, then to Dusan Lajovic in the quarter-finals of the Omnium Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina – it was the first time in 11 years that he suffered a defeat against a compatriot.
“Everything is fine, assured Djokovic about his elbow. What I mean is that there is always something that annoys you when you play at this level. It’s normal.
“Also, I’m not 25 anymore, so I guess that’s why it bothers me a little more now,” added Djokovic, who will turn 36.e birthday the day after the end of this tournament. It takes a little longer to recover. »
Djokovic, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, obviously wants to be in top form for the majors.
After his second-round bye, he will begin his run on Friday night against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, an Argentine player who reached the finals of the clay-court tournaments in Santiago, Chile, and Houston earlier this year.
But regardless of his result at Foro Italico, Djokovic will cede his world No. 1 ranking to Carlos Alcaraz when the tournament concludes. That is a certainty.
