Novak Djokovic’s recent performances and his choice to skip the Rome Masters 1000 have fueled fan concerns about his future. Some analysts believe that the Serbian legend is considering not playing Roland Garros this year, with the aim of improving his current shape and arriving well prepared for the Wimbledon Championships during the summer.
The former world No.1 has played two tournaments on red clay so far – the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 and the Mutua Madrid Open respectively – in which he was eliminated in the second round in both cases without winning a set against either Alejandro Tabilo or Matteo Arnaldi.
It was hard to imagine that the 24-time Grand Slam champion would choose to skip an important event like Rome (which he had never missed since 2007), with which he has always had a special bond and which would have allowed him to play at least a few matches before the second Major of the season.
Woodbridge on Djokovic’s future
Most fans are convinced that Roland Garros and Wimbledon will be an important crossroads for Nole’s future, who could also consider the possibility of retiring if he does not achieve satisfactory results in Paris and London.
Speaking on the official Australian Open YouTube channel, tennis legend Todd Woodbridge analyzed Djokovic’s prospects at this point in his career: “There is no doubt that he has a new reality ahead of him and he is not used to certain difficulties. He is starting to lose steadily against opponents he would have comfortably beaten until a few years ago and all players enter the court with a different mentality when they face him. They know they have a chance against this version of Novak.
The aura of invincibility that accompanied him for most of his career no longer exists and Djokovic has realized that he has to reflect, which is why he decided not to go to Rome.
The next five or six weeks will be decisive for the continuation of his career. If he plays well at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, his career will continue for some time, otherwise he will follow in the footsteps of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.”
