Novak Djokovic: 3 Reasons Roland Garros Is Critical For Him
Novak Djokovic is no longer the best player in the world. That was going to happen at some point. However, nobody expected it to come this drastically. Less than 18 months ago, the Serbian was comfortably the best player in the world after winning his seventh ATP Finals title. Now, he is not even playing at the capacity of a top 5 player, let alone challenging the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
In 2025, the levels of his tennis have fallen so much that people are expecting him to retire soon. That was also not expected, considering less than a year ago, Djokovic had told the media that he was planning to play the LA Olympics in 2028. As the storyline of the season is now coming toward Roland Garros, it is almost like a make-or-break situation for the former World No. 1. Here we will provide three reasons why this year’s French Open holds utmost importance for him.
1. Weak Field
Novak Djokovic is not playing well at the moment, but so is everyone else. The Serb can use his experience in Grand Slam matches to overcome his struggles. Moreover, the rest of the field does not have much of a winning experience on the Paris dirt. In the last decade of French Open winners, only Stan Wawrinka and Carlos Alcaraz are non-retired players with a Roland Garros trophy. Hence, the Serb can use that to his advantage.
Sensationally, he has not lost at Roland Garros since losing the 2022 French Open quarterfinals against Rafael Nadal. He won the Roland Garros in 2023 and then claimed a historic Gold medal at the Paris Olympics last year. However, he withdrew in the quarterfinals last year against Casper Ruud due to a meniscus tear. Considering that he hasn’t had a losing memory recently at Roland Garros, that can play to his advantage.
2. The State Of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
With all due respect to Alexander Zverev, Alcaraz and Sinner are the two best players in the world. Sinner is returning from a three-month suspension, whereas Alcaraz is undergoing physical problems in the lead-up to Roland Garros. Sinner hasn’t shown the same kind of performance on clay so far as he has on hard courts. Considering that he is coming from a three-month suspension, the World No. 1 may have rust in his game.
On the other hand, Alcaraz will be the defending champion at Roland Garros this year. He started the clay season well, winning Monte Carlo for the first time in his career. However, his progression slowed down when he got injured in the Barcelona Open final against Holger Rune. With two of the best tennis players under a cloud, Djokovic knows that a lucky draw and a decent game can land him another Grand Slam final at Roland Garros.
3. Make Or Break For Novak Djokovic
This is a crossroads as far as Novak Djokovic is concerned. The Serb hired Andy Murray to get closer to the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz. However, his game and injury concerns have only moved him away from that tennis duo. He has played two clay court events so far and hasn’t even won a set against the likes of Alejandro Tabilo and Matteo Arnaldi.
With people questioning his future, Roland Garros is the perfect time to silence his critics. If his Paris performance goes according to plan, who knows? He might become one of the favorites for Wimbledon. After all, he reached the final last year despite all his physical problems.
