Alex Corretja believes Novak Djokovic is going to be good at the 2024 Roland Garros despite the slump in form.
The 2-time French Open finalist thinks the 24-time GS champion is saving energy for a very tough summer schedule where he will compete at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Olympics and US Open.
Djokovic took a wildcard to appear at the Geneva Open ATP 250 event this week ahead of the Paris major which starts on Sunday.
The legendary Serbian who is turning 37 today, will face Yannick Hanfmann in the opener in Geneva as he records his debut appearance at the tournament.
The World No. 1 has had a disappointing start to the 2024 campaign as per his usual standards and has only managed to play only 6 matches on the clay this year.
Djokovic is yet to reach a championship match in 2024 season and has reached the semis of Monte Carlo Masters and R3 of Italian Open to register his best results in the clay swing so far. He will be pursuing a fourth Paris crown as a defending champion.
Corretja, a tennis legend and commentator assessed Djokovic’s prospects of heading into the clay major.
“It seems to me that Novak is saving energy for the summer time for Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Olympics, the US Open,” the 17-time tour titlist told Eurosport.
“I think he knows that it’s going to be a very busy time and he’s been just hanging in there, observing his body, you know, his mind.
“Definitely he needs a good first week to get in shape again, to get some rhythm, to get some feeling with the ball and to spend a little bit of time to suffer one of those matches where maybe he doesn’t feel great, but he needs to get through and get that confidence back.
“I’m counting on Novak. Of course he knows how to deal in the Slams. He’s the defending champion. He loves to play there on that Philippe Chatrier. So, I’m not worried about his form.
“I’m more just interested to see how he’s going to deal with the whole situation once he doesn’t feel as great as he wished, but I have no doubt that he’s going to be good.”
The Spaniard asserted that a solid run in Geneva will give Djokovic what he needs in preparation ahead of the French Open.
“If he’s able to play like two or three matches, he will get to Roland Garros in a good shape, and definitely with his confidence back,” Corretja continued.
“I think it’s a matter of also feeling the ball and the moments where you need to save break points, where you need to serve for the match, where you need to know where you are going to serve, where you’re going to stand at the return.
“This is what maybe Novak is missing a little bit on clay, but as the tournament will go on as the matches he will play for sure, he’s going to be ready.”