Novak Djokovic has answered some questions about his French Open participation after recent tournament withdrawals.
Djokovic last competed at Indian Wells, where he lost in the fourth round to Jack Draper in a thrilling three-set match.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has not played a single match since then, with Djokovic withdrawing from the Madrid Open, the Monte Carlo Masters and the Miami Open.
Djokovic has reportedly been struggling with a shoulder injury since then, and he has now provided an update on his physical status with just weeks to go until the French Open.
Novak Djokovic says he is ‘ready’ for the French Open
Although Djokovic will not be competing at the Madrid Open this year, he was still in the Spanish capital for the Laureus Sport World Sports Awards.
When walking through the busy red carpet, Djokovic spoke to Teledeporte, where he was asked about his current plans.
Are you more or less confident that Novak Djokovic can win his 25th Grand Slam now?
Djokovic confirmed that he was dealing with an injury and admitted that he was unsure of whether he would be playing at the Italian Open yet, but appeared confident that he would be at the French Open.
“I have an injury. I hope to be ready at least for Roland Garros,” said Djokovic.
“I’m working to get to Rome, but I can’t make a prediction now because it depends on the progress of the injury. At least for Roland Garros, I’m ready.”
Djokovic reached the Australian Open final earlier this year, but he has not done so at the French Open since winning the title in 2023.
Novak Djokovic could have an issue if he misses the Italian Open
While it is a positive sign that Djokovic appears to be confident about his chances of playing the French Open, he could have an issue if he does not compete at the Italian Open.
Djokovic is the current world number four, which is crucial as it means that he is currently guaranteed to not play either Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner until the semifinals.
Will Jannik Sinner win the French Open?
However, the 38-year-old is at risk of falling down in the rankings, particularly if Djokovic does not play at the Italian Open.
Djokovic has only 10 ranking points to defend until French Open seeding, but both Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ben Shelton could be hot on his heels.
| ATP Rankings | Current ranking point total | Points to defend until French Open seeding | Maximum points they can gain before French Open seeding |
| 4. Novak Djokovic | 4,710 | 10 | 1000? |
| 5. Felix Auger-Aliassime | 4,100 | 10 | 2000 |
| 6. Ben Shelton | 4,070 | 60 | 2000 |
Shelton has just won the title in Munich, and he is only 640 points behind Djokovic now, with only 60 points to defend until French Open seeding.
Auger-Aliassime has only 10 points to defend in this same time period, and he is a former finalist at the Madrid Open, where he would overtake Djokovic if he reaches the championship match again.
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