“He will find a way,” Alex Corretja STRONGLY believes Novak Djokovic will bring his ‘champion’ mentality in Roland Garros despite a poor buildup on clay
Corretja backs Djokovic despite the poor clay season
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Alex Corretja and Novak Djokovic
If you are Novak Djokovic, the world expects you to win every game. However, the 2023 season has been a little bit different. Since winning the Australian Open, the Serb hasn’t looked like himself. Regularly pulling out of events and not having deep runs is a worry for the Djokovic team.
The clay season has been nothing short of a surprise. The fact that the 22-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t made it to any semi-final on the dirt this year is a tough one to digest. Djokovic played Monte Carlo, Bosnia Herzegovina and Rome this year in preparation for Roland Garros. He pulled out of Madrid. Early exits in all three saw him fall from no. 1 to no. 3.
Betting against the Serb is never a good idea. However, looking at his season, people do have their doubts. Amidst all this chaos, former two-time French Open finalist Alex Corretja believes that Djokovic still has a lot left in his tank. While talking to Eurosport, Corretja said, “He knows how to win [at Roland-Garros], he has done it already twice and he has won so many majors, he knows how to deal with the pressure even though he didn’t have an unbelievable clay-court season,”
“He is going little by little and he will increase his level. He knows how to be the favourite of the tournament, and I think Novak is going to be ready to do well. I’m sure that he’s been preparing this season that he’s going to get to Paris and he’s going to find his peak at the tournament, and even if he struggles at some moments or whatever, he will find a way. He’s a champion,” he concluded.
Djokovic’s mental toughness has been one of his greatest assets throughout the years. His ability to maintain concentration even when things do not go according to plan is commendable. He has turned numerous contests on their heads with this ability. The 2021 French Open Final is one match that immediately springs to mind.
Being two sets to love down against Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Serb maintained his cool. He kept hitting the ball back and scripted a miraculous turnaround. Can he do the impossible in Paris this time around?
Alcaraz’s early exit from Rome, a blessing in disguise, believes Corretja
Many would feel that Carlos Alcaraz’s early exit from Rome was untimely. It’s a different thing altogether to carry great form into an event like the French Open. However, Alcaraz couldn’t reap the benefits of that as he faced a shocker to a player outside the top 100. Corretja looked at the positive side in this case. He felt this exit was a blessing in disguise for the Spaniard.
“For me it was the best thing it could happen to him,” the two-time French Open finalist said. “Now, he had time off, he rested and he is going to be much fresher for Roland-Garros.”
Alcaraz has had quite a long season with many tiring matches. The loss has given him time to recover and regroup. He must look to be 110% fit, as this is a golden opportunity for him to lift the title. Can he? Time will tell us.
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