Former world number one
Andy Roddick has revealed that he
was ‘shocked’ after hearing that Serbia’s legendary tennis star
Novak Djokovic decided to play in the
Geneva Open just a week before the
French Open.
The second Grand Slam of the year is set to be played from
May 26 to June 09 in the capital city of France where players from all over the
world will participate to secure the ultimate prize.
Djokovic, who has won as many as 24 Grand Slam titles, is often regarded as the greatest player in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category. He will be one of the favourites for the upcoming mega-event, where he will be defending his crown.
Interestingly, the 36-year-old will participate in the Geneva Open just days before the start of the competition in Paris.
That development, however, left former world number one Roddick ‘shocked’. He stated that Djokovic’s move to take part in an ATP 250
event so close to a Grand Slam shows that the reigning world number is not as confident
going into a major competition as he used to be.
Novak Djokovic will be defending his title at the French Open this year.
“I like the move and I’m also shocked by it,” said Roddick.
“You know, it’s strange because he has been so confident just entering the
biggest tournaments in the world without a lot of prep work, right?
“He’s made a habit of that and been successful at it over
the last three or four years. So, it definitely proves the point that we’ve
been beating home all week that if something is different, you need matches —
even the best of all time.
“Sometimes you need some reps and some real reps, right? You
can feel great in practice, you can’t mimic that. So I think it’s the right
move. And hey, I’m sure I’m sure the Geneva Open is pretty pumped about getting
him for free.”