ROME: Novak Djokovic said he is building up to hit top form for his French Open title defence, after the world number one skipped the Madrid Masters and arrived early in Rome to continue his preparations for the year’s second Grand Slam.

The Serb last competed at the Monte Carlo Masters in April where he lost to Casper Ruud in the semi-final, and the 24-time Grand Slam champ is still seeking his first trophy of the season.

The 37-year-old said he was happy with his progress ahead of Roland Garros starting on May 26.

“I had plenty of time to also rest and train. I had a good training block. I arrived [in Rome] two days ago to get a hit on the centre court, obviously stay four-five days training before my first match with top players,” Djokovic told reporters.

“Obviously it’s different when you train with them, playing practice sets, seeing where your game is at. I think I’m on a good route to peak at Roland Garros. Hopefully here in Rome I can play better than I did in Monte Carlo.”

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2024