After months of inactivity due to his refusal of the vaccine against covid, Novak Djokovic resumes competition on the clay courts of Monte-Carlo with the appetite of a champion whose main objective is none other than Roland- Garros.
“I miss the competition, I’m always very motivated, I want to play against young people, the best in the world, to win the most beautiful titles“, warned the Serb on Sunday on the first day of the Monaco Masters 1000.
Surprised to have been able to keep the throne of world N.1 during his period of forced inactivity (he gave it up for two weeks to Daniil Medvedev but begins his 365th week on Monday at the top of the world hierarchy), he did not played only three matches in three months this season, in Dubai in February.
And if he wants, soon to be 35, to rub shoulders with the young wolves, that’s good because the draw has promised him one of the most terrible young wolves from the quarter-finals: the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz ( 11th in the world at 18) who remains on a semi-final in Indian Wells and a title in Miami, his first in Masters 1000.
“I probably won’t be on top at first (from Monte Carlo)but I will try to build my game. I will need time and matches to pick up the pace and find competitive play” necessary for the French Open. The rhythm, the game, of course. But what about his mind? How did he digest his expulsion from Australia on the eve of the start of the first Major of the year? And how did he live his impossibility of playing the American tournaments for lack, always, of being vaccinated?
Debut against Davidovich Fokina
“The last 3-4 months have been very difficult mentally and emotionally, but I’m trying to put it all behind me.he confided. From day to day, we had to move on, forget what had happened and transform these emotions into positive energy.“, he developed, recalling his frenzied optimism and his desire to learn from everything that can happen to him in life. And from a sporting point of view, he is ready to let go “all the energy that slept” in him. He will start in the tournament on Wednesday in the second round against the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (45th) who eliminated the American Marcos Giron (53rd) on Sunday in the first round 7-5, 6-3.
