After skipping the Madrid tournament, world number one Novak Djokovic assured Monday that his objective was to compete in the Masters 1000 in Rome (May 6-15) before defending his title at Roland-Garros.
“Unfortunately I won't be able to play in Madrid this year. (...) I plan to play in Rome, so I hope I can play, preparing well,” declared the Serbian during a press conference on the sidelines of the Laureus sports awards ceremony in the Spanish capital, where he was elected sportsman of the year.
“This year has been a little different for me, I have not yet found my best level of tennis and I hope I will do so at Roland-Garros” he added.
At 36, the winner of 24 Grand Slam titles says he is “preparing his body” to be ready “especially for Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, the Olympic Games and the US Open, the most important part of the season for me ".
Djokovic appeared in physical difficulty last week in Monte-Carlo, where he was eliminated in the semi-final by the Norwegian Casper Ruud.