ROME — Novak Djokovic is correct the place he desires to be after a gradual begin to his clay-court season.
Back on the Italian Open – the clay occasion the place he’s had his most success.
The top-ranked Serb is a six-time champion in Rome and six-time runner-up.
“Historically throughout my career, Rome has always been a very nice tournament for me,” Djokovic stated Thursday. “Hopefully it can serve, again, as a great, great springboard for me to what’s coming up in Paris where I want to play my best.”
The French Open, the clay-court Grand Slam, begins on the finish of the month, and Djokovic is hoping so as to add a 3rd title at Roland Garros after his victories in 2016 and 2021.
Djokovic is returning after three weeks off attributable to a lingering difficulty along with his surgically repaired proper elbow.
In his earlier two tournaments on pink clay, Djokovic had consecutive early exits.
He misplaced within the spherical of 16 at Monte Carlo to Lorenzo Musetti. Then Dusan Lajovic beat him within the quarterfinals of the Srpska Open in Bosnia and Herzegovina, dealing him his first loss to a countryman in 11 years.
“It’s all good,” Djokovic stated of his elbow. “I imply, there’s at all times some issues right here and there that hassle you on this stage. It’s regular.
“Also when you’re not 25 anymore, I guess you experience that a bit more than what used to be the case,” added Djokovic, who will flip 36 the day after this event ends. “It takes a little bit more time to recover.”
Djokovic, who gained the Australian Open firstly of the 12 months, is clearly aiming to peak across the Grand Slams.
After a first-round bye, he’ll open with an evening match Friday towards Tomas Martin Etcheverry, an Argentine who reached clay finals in Santiago, Chile, and Houston earlier this 12 months.
No matter his outcomes on the Foro Italico, Djokovic will cede the No. 1 rating again to Carlos Alcaraz after this event.
Alcaraz, who’s making his Rome debut, is seeded second and within the reverse aspect of the draw from Djokovic.
While they’ve been buying and selling the highest spot forwards and backwards, it’s the primary time this 12 months that each Djokovic and Alcaraz have entered the identical event.
Alcaraz missed the Australian Open attributable to harm and Djokovic missed the Masters 1000 occasions in Indian Wells, California, and Miami, as a result of he was prevented from getting into the United States since he’s not vaccinated towards the coronavirus.
Then Djokovic missed the Madrid Open due to his elbow. Alcaraz gained the event on Sunday.
“It is strange that we haven’t been in the same draw since the beginning of the season. Due to the circumstances on both sides, that didn’t happen,” Djokovic stated. “He’s been taking part in some very spectacular tennis, an amazing stage. He’s the participant to beat on this floor, little doubt.
“Of course, it depends if (Rafael) Nadal is going to play in (the) French Open or not. But Alcaraz is one of the top favorites without any dilemma.”
Nadal, who holds the document of 10 titles in Rome, isn’t taking part in as he stays hampered by a nagging hip harm, leaving his standing for Roland Garros in query.
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