Novak Djokovic says he is ready to peak at Roland Garros – Firstpost

Novak Djokovic said he believes he will be in top form at the French Open and hopes to prove his credentials at the Italian Open in Rome.

The Serb told a news conference on Wednesday that his focus was on Paris, Wimbledon and the Olympics and that he had strategic reasons not to participate in the Madrid Open.

“It was not part of the schedule. The plan was to come here. That’s basically it,” world number one Djokovic said at the Italian Open.

Djokovic, who turns 37 on May 22, just before the start of the French Open on May 26, said he hoped to do better than at his last tournament, the Monte Carlo Masters, where he lost to Casper Ruud in the semi-final. .

“I am on track to reach Roland Garros in Paris,” he said.

“I hope that here in Rome I can play better than in Monte Carlo.”

“The wish, obviously, is always to go far, but let’s see.”

Djokovic, who has won the Italian Open six times, has a first-round bye. He said the expansion of Masters 1000 events to two weeks influenced scheduling choices.

“It’s a different concept now, the first time Rome and Madrid are almost two-week events, like Indian Wells and Miami.

“It gives you more time to recover between matches if you continue in the tournament, which I think is helpful for me.”

As Djokovic continues to reshuffle his team, since his split with Goran Ivanisevic, he has re-hired former physio Miljan Amanovic for “certain weeks”.

Amanovic worked alongside Djokovic from 2007 to 2017 and then from 2018 to 2022.

“I am in favor of having a quality team and entourage around you, of having people who are experts in their field, who have experience, who have knowledge, who also understand psychology,” said he declared.

“They know how to approach you emotionally when you need help or when you need space.

“You spend a lot of time together on tour.

“You see them a lot more than your family, especially when you’re younger, when you’re literally traveling every week of the year.”