Hello and welcome to our live coverage from the French Open as defending champion Novak Djokovic faces Spain’s Roberto Carballés Baena in round two.
24-time grand slam winner Djokovic has been far from his usual dominant self in 2024. He has not won a tournament this year and had early exits at Indian Wells and the Italian Open, where he was affected by a metal water bottle falling on his head while signing autographs. Given his glittering career record, call it a crisis.
After losing Saturday’s Geneva Open semi-final to Tomas Machac, he conceded he wasn’t a favourite for the French Open. Djokovic is coming in with “low expectations and high hopes,” he said at his pre-tournament press conference on Sunday.
Nevertheless, he got through his opener at Roland Garros against Pierre-Hugues Herbert in straight sets, going through the gears when required to win a second-set tie-break with some characteristically clutch play. There were glimpses of the familiar ferocious competitor in Djokovic too.
“I’m glad I started the way I started, the way I felt on the court,” Djokovic said afterwards. “Comparing to the previous weeks of tournaments I [recently] played, I felt good, better. I’m moving in a positive direction.”
“I was fist pumping, I was focused, I was there, I was present. So I’m pleased with the way I had a mindset on the court. That was something that I was looking for. And where are you going to feel that way if not in grand slams?”
31-year-old Carballés Baena will have to play at his very best to test the Serbian: he is ranked at 62 in the world and has lost their previous two encounters, both at slams, in straight sets.
Let’s hope the crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier behave themselves too. If they’re shouting or making noise during points, Novak Djokovic doubtless won’t be as tactful and polite in his riposte as Iga Swiatek was yesterday after her enthralling second round win over Naomi Osaka.
