He hadn’t smelled the smell of a Grand Slam since the US Open last fall. Remember: because of his refusal to be vaccinated against the Covid, Novak Djokovic had been expelled from Australia and deprived of Open to the antipodes. An episode on which he did not return when he once again set foot on the Parisian clay court. The page is turned.
“At the start of the season, explains the Serb, I spoke with my team to find the right strategy in order to arrive at Roland-Garros with the maximum of assets. This phase of my life is the most important of my career. With age, it is more and more difficult to perform well on clay, believe me. Roland-Garros is in my head every day, it’s been like that since I started playing. Winning in Rome last Sunday was important for my confidence. I feel good now on the court. I hope to get far in the tournament. I am inspired and motivated to reach the final once again. »
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Nadal is necessarily the favorite
A few days after his victory in Rome which indeed proved, if necessary, that victory in tennis is like cycling and that it cannot be forgotten, the world number 1 and defending champion Porte d’Auteuil finds the perfume great meetings with a smile and enormous ambition.
He did not hide it, two days before the start of the tournament “You talk to me about the favorites and you say that I am one of them,” said the Serb. Yes, of course, but when we talk about the favorites here at Roland-Garros we have to put Nadal among them for everything he has done in the history of this tournament. There is also Alcaraz who has been playing incredible tennis for 5-6 months. He has phenomenal results for his age. You know, when you approach a Grand Slam tournament, you are always faced with an absolutely incredible challenge: trying to win one of the most prestigious trophies in the world. When you’re the defending champion like I am, the challenge is even tougher. »
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But the feeling at the end is even sweeter: “When I think back to the 2021 final, I have goosebumps, confirms the Serb. I want to relive that but it’s so hard to do. Many of us want it. I have been in the business for a long time now and I know how to manage a lot of things to sting at the best time and win. It takes motivation, but winning a Grand Slam when you play tennis is the most extraordinary thing. It’s so different from any other tournament. »
In the first round, the world number 1 will face the Japanese Nishioka before perhaps finding Nadal in the quarter-finals: “It’s like that, what do you want to do there, comments Djoko. The draw is thus made and we cannot go back on it. At this moment, I do not project myself that far. I’m just focusing on my first game. The rest, we will think about it later. »
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