"Different chapter of my life": Novak Djokovic explains reason behind decision to play at Geneva Open

Former world number one Novak Djokovic explained the reason for participating in the ongoing Geneva Open. The ATP 250 event is currently taking place in Switzerland, where players are participating, not only to secure the title but also to prepare for the upcoming second Grand Slam of the year.

The 37-year-old, who is regarded as the greatest player in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category in the Open era, having won as many as 24 Grand Slam titles, is set to start his journey in the competition in the match against Marton Fucsovics on Wednesday. Talking ahead of the competition, Djokovic highlighted the primary reason behind taking part in the competition.

“I mean a different chapter of my life that I am trying to navigate myself through,” he said. “Yes, I am not particularly used to having this kind of circumstance where I would lose consecutive matches in tournament first rounds, I don’t think it has ever happened to me in the last 20 years. I am playing the Geneva tournament because I am trying to do well, win more trophies and build my form for Roland Garros and perform at the desired, necessary level in order to go far in the tournament and challenge the best players in the world.”

Djokovic has struggled with consistency in the recent past. The Belgrade-born star has not won any ATP event since the start of 2024. This year, the current world number seven has featured in seven events but has managed to cement a spot in the final only once. He featured in just two semifinals and suffered a defeat in his first match on four occasions. His most recent outing came at the Madrid Open, where he lost in the round of 64 to Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-4.