Novak Djokovic turns to Geneva Open in search of rhythm before high-stakes Roland Garros

Former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic already has a day set for his debut at the 2025 Geneva Open. The Serbian star will be aiming to secure his long-awaited first clay-court win of the season, hoping to get a least one more match on the surface before facing the pressure of a best-of-five battles at Roland Garros.

So far, it hasn't been the season Djokovic had hoped for. After a promising start on the hard courts of Melbourne, where he reached the semifinals, repeating that result on the clay of Paris now seems -at least for the moment- like a distant dream.

Novak kicked off his season in Brisbane, where he reached the quarterfinals. Then, in Australia, he delivered his best performance of the year so far by defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.

However, that win came at a sleep cost, as he ended up injured during the semifinals against Alexander Zverev. It was the first clear sign that age is catching up with him and that his body can no longer endure several five-set duels againt players 20 years younger without repercussions.

That's why it was crucial for Novak to secure at least one more solid result in another major event, to maintain his ranking and avoid dangerous early matchups at Roland Garros or Wimbledon.

The Serbian met that goal at the Miami Open, where he once again played at high level and reached the final, though he was eventually defeated by the 19-year-old hard-hitting Czech Jakub Mensik.

As the clay season began, it was expected that Djokovic would face some challenges. The slow surface extends rallies, demands greater movement and puts more strain on the body. Phisically, it looked like a tough ask, but when it comes to Djoker -and especially remembering his Olympic feats last year- few expected this kind of setback.