Djokovic surprised with his ambitions at his home Masters in Monte Carlo. What opponents await him?

This year is not going too positively for him. Still, Novak Djokovic surprised with his low ambitions for the opening Masters tournament on clay. Who will the Serbian tennis player face and for which of his opponents does he have only words of praise?

A slow start

Novak Djokovic is experiencing a very unusual start to the season. In a quarter of a year he has not yet enjoyed a tournament triumph.

And he himself does not expect to change this statistic at the Monte Carlo tournament. The opening clay court event of this season, which belongs to the top league of Masters tournaments, will welcome the complete world’s top players.

Djokovic was able to win here in the 2013 and 2015 seasons, and he feels at home here, having lived here for a long time. His children were born in Monte Carlo and he meets many familiar faces on the courts.

Still, he doesn’t have high expectations for his performance here. “It‘s going to be about creating my game on clay and trying to reach my peak again,” the 36-year-old describes his modest goals for the upcoming event.

Let’s add that the legendary Serb’s performances, but also those of his generation younger competitors, raise legitimate speculations whether we are watching the end of his era.

Rivals and competitors

Jannik Sinner will be among the biggest favourites of the tournament. Djokovic also has words of praise for the Italian. According to him, he is the best player in the world this year. According to him, he has improved in all aspects of the game.

But Djokovic may not meet him until the final. A round earlier, he may face another emerging player, Alcaraz. That’s the one who’s getting all the attention. He’s even being compared to Federer.

The Serb’s first opponent in the first round will be either the Russian Safiullin or the Spaniard Munar after the free draw. In both cases, an acceptable draw.

Let’s see how soon Djokovic finds his optimum comfort on the slowest surface. The clay court season is a long one, plus the extended Summer Olympics. So the Serb has a relatively long time.

Source: ATP, Monte Carlo Masters