PARIS: Novak Djokovic says he has “high expectations” as he chases an elusive Olympic gold medal, with his confidence unshaken despite a poor year by his stellar standards.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has not won a single title this season, losing in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final earlier this month.
He returns to Roland Garros for a fifth Olympics, attempting to improve on the bronze he earned on his debut at the 2008 Beijing Games.
The Serbian world number two faces a mouthwatering clash with Rafael Nadal if both players win their opening matches.
Djokovic has missed out on the podium at the past three Olympics, twice finishing fourth, including in Tokyo three years ago when his bid for a rare golden calendar Grand Slam came up short.
Carlos Alcaraz is the favorite for the title in Paris after landing his first French Open title and defending his Wimbledon crown, but Djokovic has made a habit of proving doubters wrong.
“When it comes to bookmakers, people will always talk,” Djokovic said at a Serbian team press conference on Thursday.
“I haven’t yet won a title in this calendar year so people tend to count me out, but it has happened before and it can always change. So it can be a motivator.”
The 37-year-old pulled out before his French Open quarter-final with a knee injury at the start of June but made a swift return following an operation in time to play at Wimbledon.
“I feel more ready now than I was for Wimbledon,” said Djokovic, who begins his Olympic campaign against Australia’s Matthew Ebden.
Djokovic has made no secret of the fact that winning Olympic gold remains one of his “biggest dreams,” as the only major honor missing from his list.
“The expectations are always high, which is something that I cannot change and don’t want to,” he said.
“Approaching Olympic Games is always a huge challenge for me because I put extra expectations and pressure on myself, and of course, the nation as well.”
“The objective is always the highest one,” he added. “I’m hoping I can perform by best and get to the medal match.”
The tournament will officially mark the end of Andy Murray’s career, with Nadal also nearing retirement, but Djokovic said he had no plans to hang up his racquet.
“I don’t have retirement close in my mind, to be honest even though I know a lot of people would love me to retire so this era is done,” he said.
A match between Djokovic and Nadal would be the 60th instalment of one the sport’s greatest rivalries.
Djokovic holds a 30-29 edge over the Spaniard, but the pair have not faced off since Nadal won their French Open quarter-final two years ago.
“I am excited for this duel in the second round, and I will give it my all,” he said.
Djokovic says don’t write me off for Olympic gold
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Djokovic says don’t write me off for Olympic gold
- The 24-time Grand Slam champion has not won a single title this season
- “When it comes to bookmakers, people will always talk,” Djokovic said
Alcaraz waiting on results from medical tests to see if he will play in Madrid
- “I feel fine physically,” the 21-year-old Spaniard said
- Alcaraz won the Madrid title in 2022 and 2023
MADRID: Carlos Alcaraz said Tuesday he is feeling fine but will wait on results from medical tests to decide whether he will play at the Madrid Open.
The third-ranked Alcaraz needed treatment on his upper right leg during his straight-set loss to Holger Rune in the Barcelona Open final on Sunday.
“I feel fine physically,” the 21-year-old Spaniard said. “I’ve had tests, and we’ll see what the results say. I’m used to playing with discomfort, so let’s hope I can play and enjoy Madrid.”
Alcaraz, who won in Monte Carlo earlier this month, is expected to have his opening match later this week. He is the No. 2 seed.
Alcaraz won the Madrid title in 2022 and 2023. He is in the same half of the draw as three-time champion Novak Djokovic, the fourth seed.
Alexander Zverev, who overcame Alcaraz for the No. 2 ranking in the world after winning in Munich last weekend, is the top seed in Madrid. Defending champion Andrey Rublev is the seventh seed.
Rune upsets Alcaraz in straight sets to win Barcelona Open
- Alcaraz will lose his No. 2 ranking to Alexander Zverev, who won his third Munich title on Sunday
- It was the first ATP tour-level final between two players aged 21-and-under since 2022. Both are 21
BARCELONA, Spain: Holger Rune upset home-crowd favorite Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets on Sunday to win the Barcelona Open for his first title since 2023.
Rune defeated the Spaniard 7-6 (6), 6-2 for his first title since winning in Munich two years ago, and fifth overall. It was the Dane’s first ATP 500 title.
“It means the world, it was such a great match,” Rune said. “In the beginning, I was a little bit stressed, because Carlos obviously plays big-time tennis. I had to breathe a lot and find my rhythm. After he broke me, I got more into the match and played my tennis. The first set was a big battle, it was super important to win it and gain the momentum. I’m so proud of myself.”
Alcaraz was coming off a nine-match winning streak that included his first Monte Carlo Masters title last weekend. He was searching for his third title of the year and 19th of his career. He won the Barcelona Open in 2022 and 2023.
Rune, runner-up to Jack Draper at Indian Wells, rallied from a break down in the opener and converted his fourth set point. He cruised in the second set against Alcaraz, who twice needed treatment on his upper right leg.
“I’m very happy with how I stayed composed when it mattered, and I was really brave,” Rune said.
Alcaraz will lose his No. 2 ranking to Alexander Zverev, who won his third Munich title on Sunday.
“Congratulations Holger on an amazing week,” Alcaraz said. “Coming here and showing a great effort to make the people enjoy watching tennis, I appreciate that. We’ve been seeing each other since (we were) 12 years old. Time flies. I’m really happy to see us in this position, how far we’ve (come). Keep going.”
It was the first ATP tour-level final between two players aged 21-and-under since 2022. Both are 21.
By reaching the final in Barcelona, Rune secured a return to the top 10. He will move up to No. 9. The sixth seed in Barcelona, Rune had been forced to retire from his Monte Carlo opener with food poisoning.
The Madrid Open starts Monday.
Serena says she would have received 20-year ban if she failed drug tests like Sinner
- Former world number one Simona Halep was also banned despite denying knowingly taking the banned drug roxadustat
American great Serena Williams said she would have been banned for 20 years and stripped of her Grand Slam titles had she failed drug tests like men’s world number one Jannik Sinner did last year.
Sinner accepted a three-month ban in February following an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which challenged an independent tribunal’s decision to clear him of wrongdoing after two positive tests for the anabolic agent clostebol.
“I love the guy, love this game,” Williams, who retired in 2022 after winning 23 Grand Slam trophies, told Time Magazine.
“He’s great for the sport. I’ve been put down so much, I don’t want to bring anyone down. Men’s tennis needs him.
“(But) if I did that, I would have gotten 20 years. Let’s be honest. I would have gotten Grand Slams taken away from me.”
Reuters has contacted Sinner’s team and WADA for comment.
Reigning Australian Open and US Open champion Sinner, whose ban will end on May 4, has always maintained his innocence though his case raised questions about whether he had received preferential treatment from the authorities.
Iga Swiatek’s case also caused some surprise with the women’s world number two accepting a one-month suspension in November after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.
Former world number one Simona Halep was also banned despite denying knowingly taking the banned drug roxadustat and her four-year suspension was cut to nine months in 2024 after an appeal at sport’s highest court.
Williams also said she took extra care with what she put into her body during her career in case she ingested something that got her in trouble.
Playing elder sister tougher than facing top-ranked players for Mirra Andreeva
- Mirra had beaten the likes of world No. 1 and 2 Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek en route to the Indian Wells title last month, but the 17-year-old said it was tougher to focus when her elder sister is on the other side of the net
- Mirra will next play compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16
STUTTGART: Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva has beaten the world’s best players to move up to world No. 7 but on Wednesday she beat a player who had got the better of her for years — her elder sister Erika.
The Andreeva sisters were drawn against each other at the Stuttgart Open but any hopes of witnessing an absorbing sibling rivalry were put to bed when Erika, 20, was forced to retire with a knee injury while trailing 6-2 1-0.
Mirra had beaten the likes of world No. 1 and 2 Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek en route to the Indian Wells title last month, but the 17-year-old said it was tougher to focus when her elder sister is on the other side of the net.
“For me, 75 percent-80 percent is about my mental preparation, because you’re also not just focusing on yourself and you’re not focusing on how to beat her, but you’re also focusing (on her) — does she feel good? I don’t know,” Mirra told reporters.
“I wonder, how does she feel? What are we going to do after the match? How is it going to be? All those thoughts.
“Me, I don’t just focus on myself, but I also focus on kind of paying more attention to her. This makes the match more difficult for me... To really just focus on myself, it’s almost impossible when I play against her.”
The two had met once before in Wuhan last year where Erika — who is now 90 rungs below Mirra in the rankings — triumphed in straight sets.
Mirra said she knew Erika was struggling with her knee as they are sharing a room, but also revelled in beating her for the first time — even though the victory did not come under ideal circumstances.
“We played a couple of times on the practices when we were younger, and actually, until Wuhan last year, we never ever played an official match. So we were always playing a couple of games on the practices or a couple of tiebreaks,” Mirra said.
“But most of the time, of course she has, like a 90 percent win (record) against me and this is actually the first time I really won a set against her.
“I just know that, of course, if she would feel her 100 percent, the score would be completely different and the match would be different as well. But I’m sure that we have a lot of time to play and to show the great level of tennis.”
She will next play compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16.
Alcaraz caps ‘difficult week’ with first Monte Carlo Masters title
- It marks a sixth Masters title for Alcaraz and is his most prestigious title since winning Wimbledon last year
- Alcaraz: Coming here and seeing how the whole hard work has paid off, I’m really happy
MONTE CARLO, Principality of Monaco: Carlos Alcaraz made the best possible start to his preparations for the defense of his French Open title, burning past the Italian Lorenzo Musetti in three sets on Sunday to win his first Monte Carlo Masters.
The 21-year-old Spaniard, already a four-time Grand Slam winner, dropped the opening set but came back hard to take the next two at the cost of a single game as he cleaned up 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, albeit helped by a limping Musetti.
It marks a sixth Masters title for Alcaraz and is his most prestigious title since winning Wimbledon last year.
It was also his first win on clay since winning the French Open last season, although in mitigation he only had one tournament after that when he missed out on gold at the Paris Olympics.
“I’m just really happy to have won Monte Carlo for the first time,” said Alcaraz who lost in his first match on his only previous appearance at the tournament in 2022.
“It’s been a really difficult week with a lot of difficult situations.
“I’m really proud of myself, how I’ve dealt with everything. It’s been a really difficult month for me on the court and outside.
“Coming here and seeing how the whole hard work has paid off, I’m really happy.”
Alcaraz chose not to expand on his difficulties but they may be eased partly by this win which will lift him up to No 2 in the world rankings, ahead of Alexander Zverev but still behind the suspended Jannik Sinner.
However, this was no easy win in chilly conditions against a man playing in his first Masters 1000 final after taking down two top 10 players, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex de Minaur, to get there.
Musetti dropped his opening service but broke back straight away and took the fight to Alcaraz who, in spite of the odd blissful winner, appeared at odds with his game, making six unforced errors.
The Spaniard bounced back, however, lifting his game as he galloped through the second set 6-1.
That trend continued as Musetti began to have problems with his right leg, receiving treatment when he was 0-3 in the decider.
He battled on but could not live with the intensity or physicality of Alcaraz’s game.
“It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match,” said Alcaraz.
“Lorenzo’s been through a really tough week, long and intense matches.
“I feel sorry for him, one of the best results he has done. To end like this is not easy. Hopefully it’s not serious and he’s 100 percent soon.”
Some consolation for Musetti is a rise to No 11 in the rankings and the promise of more to come on the clay as the season gets underway.
“It was probably one of my best tournaments so far,” said Musetti who took bronze at last year’s Olympics behind Alcaraz and gold medallist Novak Djokovic.
“I’m disappointed I couldn’t finish the match in the best way, for the crowd. You deserve it so I will keep going and try and come back for revenge.”
Both Alcaraz and Musetti will continue their clay court preparations at the Barcelona Open next week in the buildup to the French Open at the end of May.
