Novak Djokovic will enter the clay court season with many questions, from who will coach him to how the schedule will be chosen.
Djokovic's 2024 season has not gone as planned. He failed to defend his Australian Open title and was eliminated early at the BNP Paribas Open. The Serbian also withdrew from previously scheduled events, the Dubai Championships and the Miami Open.
Djokovic will enter the clay season having played just two matches since the Australian Open. He is also without coach Goran Ivanisevic after announcing his split with the Croatian earlier this week.
Djokovic has had a difficult time transitioning between hard and clay court seasons.
It is unlikely that Djokovic will arrive at Roland Garros without someone on the coaching bench. According to former world number one Andy Roddick, the Serbian could return to work with former coaches like Marian Vajda or Boris Becker. A playful idea also emerged when former Olympic singles champion Monica Puig suggested that the world number one recruit his former rival Roger Federer, who has recently been running short training sessions for children in Asia.
Another question for Djokovic is his tournament selection during the busy summer. He is on the Monte Carlo Masters list, where Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal could be among the top 10 players. Djokovic has won Monte Carlo twice but has struggled in recent years, with just two wins in the past three years.
Djokovic has spent his 418th week as world number one but faces intense competition in April, with Carlos Alcaraz closing the gap. Neither played in the Monte Carlo Masters last season and has plenty of points up for grabs. Jannik Sinner could also challenge for the number one spot if he wins the Miami Open. The Italian has the advantage of only defending 585 points in the claycourt season.
Vy Anh
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