The world No. 1 opens his 20th successive campaign at the Paris major Tuesday night.
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How was your Monday?
It may not have been a holiday in Paris, but for Novak Djokovic it still brought a chance of pace.
The 24-time major champion spent his afternoon under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier, watching from the stands as long-time rival Rafael Nadal faced Alexander Zverev in a Roland Garros first-round blockbuster. During his pre-tournament press conference, the Belgrade native said, “If I don’t have anything smarter to do at that point, I’ll definitely watch.”
Djokovic indeed could be seen dissecting the action, while the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek and more ATP and WTA stars also took to the stands nearby to witness the scene unfold.
As Nadal gave a short speech and waved an emotional farewell in what was his likely final outing at the major he’s won 14 times, the sun peeked through on Chatrier. By then, Djokovic was already soaking up the early evening light on a nearby practice court.
For fans who were clued in, it was an opportunity to see the world No. 1 put down work ahead of his 20th consecutive Roland Garros campaign. Djokovic wore Lacoste’s trademark colors at the event: a blue tee, white shorts and a red wristband.
The 37-year-old arrived to Paris after losing in the Geneva semifinals to Tomas Machac, extending his search for a first season title.
“I have quite a lot of experience playing on the tour, and experienced highs and lows and ups and downs and various things. So I will try to use that in a positive way, in a positive fashion for this tournament and the rest of the season,” he said.
Djokovic begins his title defense as the headliner in the Tuesday night session. The crowd will certainly be divided, as he meets French wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
With Jannik Sinner clinching his first-rounder over Chris Eubanks, Djokovic now needs to reach the final to prevent the Italian from overtaking him for the No. 1 ranking. Sinner can seize the top spot by advancing to the championship match himself.
