Novak Djokovic Raises Concerns Over His Fitness Ahead of Italian Open Return

Novak Djokovic begins his quest for a seventh Italian Open title in Rome as he aims to get back to top form in time for Roland Garros. However, the 38-year-old is struggling with a fitness issue that has forced him to skip three ATP Masters 1000 titles, including the Miami Open and the Monte Carlo Masters.

Djokovic’s last match of the season was at the Indian Wells Open, where he reached the fourth round. He faced Jack Draper for a place in the quarter-finals of the Masters 1000 tournament, but lost the tie to the British star. After that, he pulled out of three consecutive tournaments.

The former World No.1 had pulled out of the Madrid Open due to fitness issues. At that time, he admitted that he might have to play the Roland Garros without a warm-up tournament. However, he has done everything he can to play at the Italian Open ahead of the second Grand Slam of the season.

Part of the reason Djokovic intends to play in Rome might be his fantastic record at the tournament. He’s a six-time champion, which is his second-most successful Masters 1000 event in terms of titles won, and he holds a 68-12 win-loss record at the tournament. This is the 20th anniversary of Djokovic’s debut at the Rome Masters.

He has reached the quarter-finals or better in 17 of the 18 times he appeared in the main draw of the tournament. Speaking during his press conference at the tournament, he admitted that he’s not entirely happy with his physical level heading into this opening match, but he’s improving on a day-to-day basis:

Let’s say that I am prepared enough to go out there and compete. I am not entirely happy with my current level of tennis, nor with my mobility on the court, basically, I am not satisfied with my physical condition, but it is true that it is improving as the days go by. I wanted to return to the tour as soon as possible, but the reality is that I couldn’t. I have been injured, so I had to deal with these setbacks progressively.

Djokovic’s last appearance at the Italian Open ended on a sad note. While signing autographs for fans after his second-round win in 2024, a water bottle fell from a fan’s backpack and hit the Serbian legend on the head, causing a minor injury. Djokovic revealed that the incident caused him dizziness and loss of rhythm in his third-round match.

Novak Djokovic acknowledges his experience of playing at the Italian Open

Novak Djokovic is the most experienced player in the main draw of the Italian Open. However, without a competitive match in over a month, fans are not expecting much from the Serbian legend. He understands the terrain of the Foro Italico, the windy conditions, and even the court surface and balls.

Nonetheless, the question is whether he will use it to his advantage at the Italian Open or his lack of competitive matches will limit his experience. During the aforementioned press conference, Djokovic boasted about his long ties with the Italian Open, while stressing his connection with the workers and organizers of the event:

I am very familiar with the tournament, the whole venue, and the group of people who work here. In fact, many of them have been working here for decades; I remember them from the Italian Tennis Federation, with whom I have had a close relationship for years. They have been very kind to me since I was young and came here to Rome for the first time… this would be more than 20 years ago.

Djokovic will open his campaign against Croatia’s Dino Prizmic, who played the qualifying rounds and then stunned Marton Fucsovics in the first round. Prizmic is currently ranked World No. 79, his career-high ranking, and has recently defeated Ben Shelton and Matteo Berrettini on clay in Madrid.

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