Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic said he felt physicaly great in Rome as the fitness concerns from Monte Carlo and Belgrade are well past him. In Monte Carlo, Djokovic suffered a shock loss in his opener at the tournament as he was left out of energy in the third set of the second round match versus Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The following week in Belgrade, Djokovic was struggling with his game and fitness but still managed to reach the final. In the final, Djokovic ran out of gas in the third set as Andrey Rublev won 6-2 6-7 (4) 6-0. Djokovic looked much better in Madrid, and after a quarterfinal result at Caja Magica, he made it all the way in Rome.
Djokovic didn’t drop a single set in five matches played in Rome.
Djokovic: I feel perfect
“I think physically I really felt really good from Madrid onwards,” Djokovic said, per Tennis Majors. “Already there I felt like the physical issues that I was facing in Monte-Carlo and Serbia are behind me.
I put in a lot of fitness hours between Serbia and Madrid. I had a week of training. “I knew that it wasn’t something related to my fitness, it was more related to the health issue, the illness I had just before the Monte-Carlo tournament.
It turned out to be correct. I didn’t have any fitness issues. It was just those traces of the illness that I had. Right now I feel perfect”. Djokovic has played four tournaments leading up to the French Open. Now, Djokovic will turn his focus on defending his French Open title.
Rafael Nadal now owns a record 21 Grand Slams and Djokovic will be determined to match that record at the upcoming French Open. Djokovic lifted his second French Open title last year. Djokovic is considered as one of the top favorites for this year’s French Open crown.
