Novak Djokovic still has a lot to prove as he attempts to rediscover his best form at the French Open, according to tennis legend John McEnroe.
The 24-time Grand Slam-winning legend arrived at Roland Garros with “low expectations and high hopes” after suffering some uncharacteristic defeats this year.
The crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier probably felt much the same about their man’s chances, with French wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert a lowly 142 in the rankings as he took on Djokovic, yet the 6-4 7-6 (3) 6-4 didn’t answer all the questions around the 37-year-old.
Speaking to Eurosport, McEnroe suggested Djokovic’s decision to part ways with long-time coach Goran Ivanisevic and his fitness coach Marco Panichi suggested all was not well inhis camp, as he tried to evaluate why he is continuing in the sport despite having all the key records for Grand Slams wins and weeks at No 1 in his favour.
“I don’t know how Novak has kept it up this long. Certainly, some of it is to chase Roger and Rafa and now he has to look at the younger group,” McEnroe told Eurosport.
“It’s a tall order now he’s 37 years old, but he’s done an amazing job with his career. It’s hard to argue he’s not the best player of all time.
“To me, Rafa was the best on clay, Roger was the best on grass and Novak was the best on hard courts.
“Novak talks a lot about being in the right headspace and having that zen feeling but that’s not what he has had this year. I’m not sure why, no-one does. This is the test to see out a Major and see how deep he might have to dig if necessary.
“There’s been a lot of change. A new coach, got rid of the manager and physio. It seems to be impacting his on court play but he wants to get away from Nadal and Federer as possible at the Majors.
“I would’ve been surprised if Nadal went deep and won it but I wouldn’t be surprised if Novak won it. He is still ranked No 1 in the world and you can’t count him out.
“He has pretty much broken every record but is just looking to distance himself at this point. He wants to win a couple more Majors and have the crowds love him more.”
Djokovic was in a reflective mood in his press conference, as he insisted the win against Herbert didn’t give him the answers he was looking for about his form after a tough start to 2024.
“I still stay with my low expectations,” said Djokovic. “Monte Carlo, Rome and Geneva all started great for me in the first matches.
“Then the second and third matches were quite different, so I don’t want to get too excited.
“I thought it was a good performance from me, solid. He served very well, it is one of the best kick serves I’ve faced. He is very talented, mixes things up and comes to the net.
“I’m glad the way I felt on the court. Compared to previous weeks, I felt better. I am moving in a positive direction.”