Novak Djokovic faces this week at the 1000 Masters in Rome one of his last clay tests before competing at Roland Garros. The Serbian, who defends the title won last year, arrives in the Italian capital in a sea of doubts after his performances in the Monte Carlo Masters 1,000 and in the Belgrade tournament before resigning from the Mutua Madrid Open.
In the press conference prior to his debut in the Roman tournament, Djokovic emphasized the prominence that the young rackets of the circuit have been acquiring and that they could dethrone the Big Three. “The results are showing that there is a generational change. These guys play every week or so. Guys like Tsitsipas, Zverev, Berrettini or Rublev are winning against everyone and adding their points in the standings. Medvedev is also fighting for the top positions, of course and Dominic Thiem It has been there for several years now. This is inevitable. The change in the ranking is here. We'll see if it happens in a month, in a year, or when, I don't know. “
Djokovic, who debuts this Tuesday against the American Taylor Fritz, was training this Monday with Andy Murray on the tracks of the Foro Italico, a training that made the Serbian very excited. “I am very happy to have been able to see Andy Murray. I had not seen him in a long time and it has been fantastic to train with him. I think he played very well on the court. He moves well even though it is clay, and it is not the better surface area for his hips, taking into account everything he's been through lately, I think he felt good on the track. That is also what he tells me and what he shows on the track. We had a good chat and laughed a bit too. It was fantastic. It brought me back to the old days when we spent a lot of time on the court together, either training or playing with each other. “
The Serbian wanted to downplay his defeats in Monte Carlo and Belgrade and assured that he is taking form and game to get to Roland Garros in the best possible way. “I didn't play very well in Monaco and Belgrade, but fortunately I have the opportunity to be here in Rome and I will also be in Belgrade for another week before Roland Garros. I think playing four tournaments before Roland Garros is enough to accumulate calves. I am building my fitness and improving my game slowly and step by step to reach my peak form in Paris. That's where I want to play my best. “
Djokovic, who this week has reached 320 weeks as number 1 in the ATP ranking, reiterated what his main objective is now after pulverizing the records in the ranking, which is none other than to surpass Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer in Grand Slam titles . “I don't pay attention to the ranking after breaking the record for weeks as number 1. I reached that goal, now my priority is to win the Grand Slams, I'm focused on it.”