Novak Djokovic, the world's number one tennis player, expressed concern about his upcoming French Open title defence after being defeated by 44th-ranked Czech Tomas Machac in the Geneva semi-finals on Friday. Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, had entered the Swiss clay-court tournament as a late wildcard in an attempt to reverse a troubling decline in form ahead of Roland Garros, where he has previously triumphed three times.
The 37-year-old Djokovic admitted, 'Of course I'm worried. I haven't been playing good at all this year. I've had some good matches here and there but it is what it is. You have to accept it. I don't consider myself a favourite there. I'm going to take it match by match and see how far I can go.'
Djokovic, who has not secured any titles this year, discussed suffering from a stomach complaint and the impact it had on his performance in the match. Despite becoming only the third man in history to achieve 1,100 tour wins during his time in Geneva, Djokovic acknowledged his struggles this year, with a 14-6 record and semi-final appearances at the Australian Open and Monte Carlo Masters as his best results so far.
Looking ahead to Roland Garros, Djokovic expressed his hope to be fit and prepared for the tournament, reiterating the need to feel better in order to fully enjoy and focus on his game.
Djokovic, aiming for a fourth French Open title, faces the possibility of losing his number one ranking in Paris and must reach the semi-finals to have any chance of retaining the top spot. His semi-final defeat to Machac marks the Czech player's first tour-level semi-final, and he expressed eagerness about competing in a final for the first time.
