Novak Djokovic made his debut at the Geneva Open to try and halt the poor run of results he has experienced so far this season. His performance in recent weeks, highlighted by his early exit from Rome, has raised concerns about his form.
The birthday probably wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t win the match, but it’s nice to be here for the first time at this tournament, with my family Novak Djokovic
His best results this season have been semi-final appearances at the Australian Open and Monte Carlo. However, the Serbian player has only won twelve matches in the five events he has played so far, which is below his usual standards.
That is why it came as a surprise to see the world No.1 competing in an ATP 250 level event just a week before the French Open, which is set to begin on Sunday. Djokovic aimed to rediscover his form and refine his skills in preparation for the upcoming Grand Slam tournament.
In his second-round match at Geneva, Djokovic celebrated his 37th birthday by defeating Yannik Hanfmann from Germany with a score of 6-3 6-3. This victory marked his 1,100th career win, making him only the third player in ATP history to achieve this milestone, after Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer.
“The key was the birthday,” Djokovic admitted. “The birthday probably wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t win the match, but it’s nice to be here for the first time at this tournament, with my family coming here to support as well. I grew up with my aunt, uncle and two cousins for most of my life. We don’t get the chance to see each other that much lately, so it’s really nice. I’m getting some really quality time on the court, but also off the court.”
Despite the seemingly comfortable victory, Djokovic faced challenges in the match. He was initially 3-0 down in the second set but managed to make a comeback by winning six consecutive games to clinch the match. A rain break occurred when he was leading 5-3 in the second set.
It’s important to note that Djokovic had to recover from a head wound sustained in Rome just two days before his defeat to Alejandro Tabilo. This injury affected his performance and led to symptoms like nausea and dizziness during the match.
In the quarterfinals, Djokovic will face either Denis Shapovalov or Tallon Griekspoor.
On the other side of the draw, the second seed Casper Ruud managed to come back from a set down to defeat Sebastian Ofner 4-6 6-2 6-2. However, the third seed Taylor Fritz was eliminated by his American compatriot Alex Michelsen in a close match that ended 6-4 4-6 7-5.
Casper Ruud successfully open his campaign
(Photo by Mateo Villalba/Getty Images)
