All eyes are on Novak Djokovic as he heads into this year’s Roland Garros under a cloud of uncertainty.
After all, never before has he entered the event with so little preparation, having only played one clay-court match all season, which he lost in Rome.
With that unpredictable form in mind, many are struggling to envision this being the tournament where he finally wins that record-breaking 25th major title.
Alas, Andrea Petkovic still seemingly has some faith, with that confidence having been bolstered after a chat with Boris Becker.
Andrea Petkovic predicts how far Novak Djokovic will go at Roland Garros
Chatting on the Big T podcast, it should come as no surprise that Novak Djokovic was a big topic of conversation.
And, when asked if she thought that the Serbian had a chance of going deep into the second week at Roland Garros, Petkovic sought to explain why she was backing the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
She claimed: “I do think that Djokovic is going to make the round of 16.
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“I know that he maybe hasn’t won a lot of matches lately, but I think somebody who has unlocked the secret to how to play a Grand Slam tournament, a major tournament, I think will figure things out, and I know that he is always somebody who looks for matches to find his rhythm.
“I speak a lot to Boris Becker…and he has coached him for four or five years, and he always tells me that Novak actually looks for his form in the first week of a major tournament. So even though he’s a little older and even though he hasn’t played much, I do think that he can still dial into that sort of mindset.”
This is all despite the fact that Djokovic has been dealt a tough draw at this year’s French Open.
Novak Djokovic will struggle to play himself into form at the French Open
Whilst Becker may be right that Djokovic often can and does play himself into form at the Grand Slams, he will certainly struggle this time around.
After all, in his first four rounds at Roland Garros, he will be afforded little respite.
The petrifying serving of Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard awaits in the very first round, before Valentin Royer, another Frenchman, is set to be his second-round opponent.
He should then face Joao Fonseca, with the youngster sure to be keen to lay down a huge mark of intent against Djokovic, with Casper Ruud likely to be his fourth-round adversary.
This marks three really tough fixtures, followed by a fourth against a Frenchman in France.
Djokovic may not get the time to play himself into form, because he may need to start well from the off.
