SERBIAN TENNIS ICON NOVAK DJOKOVIC PLANS HIS CLAY COURT RETURN AHEAD OF PARIS TOURNAMENT
Ana Ivanovic backs Novak Djokovic to win another major as the Serbian champion rehabilitates his shoulder injury ahead of Paris.
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At 38, Novak Djokovic is still in the game, even if you rarely see him on court these days. He’s poured everything into chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam, coming incredibly close at this year’s Australian Open. That run made a lot of people think he still has what it takes to battle the best. Ana Ivanovic, who’s always supported him, even called it; she says he can absolutely grab a major title number 25.
Of course, injuries have started creeping in as his body slows down, and Djokovic hasn’t been able to play as often as he wants. This year, he’s only shown up at two tournaments: the Australian Open and Indian Wells.
His last ATP match before that was in November, at the Hellenic Championship. After such a long break, some doubted whether he could still go toe-to-toe with the world’s top players. But in Melbourne, luck was on his side. That five-set battle with Jannik Sinner, who’d won the title the past two years, showed Djokovic can still be a serious threat when he’s on.
He did stumble in the final against Carlos Alcaraz, though. Djokovic took the first set, but the young Spaniard stormed back and took the trophy. That was his first Grand Slam final since Wimbledon in 2024; it snapped a streak of five majors where he hadn’t made a final, something he hadn’t experienced since 2016 to 2018.
Last year, Djokovic made it to the semis at all four Slams. He retired against Alexander Zverev in Australia, right after stunning the tennis world by knocking out Alcaraz. Later, in the US Open semis, Zverev got the best of him again, and at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Sinner ended his run in the last four.
Djokovic still has what it takes to win.
His absolute prime may be behind him, but Djokovic and those around him still believe he can pull off more major wins. Ivanovic, who has known him since they were kids, spoke with real admiration about his career and what he means to Serbia.
“It’s really incredible what he’s achieved,” she told Eurosport. “We’ve been friends for a long time. It’s inspiring to see, and it means a lot for Serbia and the next generation.”
She’s convinced Djokovic isn’t finished. “I definitely think he can win another Grand Slam. His game is still at a really high level; he goes toe-to-toe with the best. If you look at his recent Grand Slams, he’s been in the semis and finals; he’s right there. His career is just amazing and not easy to match.”
Next up, he gets another shot at history at Roland Garros. Despite a shoulder injury that’s kept him out since Indian Wells, he’ll be one of the top picks for the tournament. With Alcaraz out, Sinner is the favourite, but Djokovic has won the French Open three times and knows how to get it done.
This could be one of Djokovic's best shots at another Grand Slam, especially with Alcaraz missing. He’ll likely come into the tournament ranked fourth in the world, so he might only have to beat Sinner, maybe in the semis or the final. That’s a lighter path compared to past majors, where he had to face both the number one and the number two players.
Honestly, nobody knows if he’ll play any warm-up tournaments before Roland Garros. His Rome Open entry is still a question mark, and he might choose the Geneva Open, like last year, when he snagged his 100th ATP title. Whatever he decides, getting fully healthy for the French Open is his top priority.
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
