Turbulent times or just a blip? Andy Roddick airs concern for Novak Djokovic for 'first time in 15 years'
ATP
Novak Djokovic goes into the French Open off the back of another early loss, this time at the Rome Open as the World No.1 was defeated by Alejandro Tabilo and Andy Roddick said he hasn't been this concerned about the World No.1 for 15 years.
Djokovic was hit in the head by a bottle after defeating Corentin Moutet. He then found himself going into this match after this accident admitting that he wasn't himself afterwards. Conspiracy theories flew about the incident, but in reality the case was that Djokovic still isn't at his best going into Roland Garros.
A point raised by Roddick who said that in reality the concerns were not there when he was losing earlier this season. It was more during this juncture when he was expected to ramp it up that it becomes a problem. He said that in his view the turn it around response can only be used for so long with his aura allowing him this time to get back to his best.
He has ditched half of his team with Goran Ivanisevic going and he still hasn't found a new coach and is still very much vulnerable. In the view of Roddick, it is a real cause for concern.“I’m more concerned about his tennis game than I’ve been in probably like, 15 years,” said the former US Open champion.
“Knowing that, maybe he just needs a bunch of us saying that, you know, the kind of ‘me against the world’ mentality that he’s mastered over the course of his career. But how long can we say, ‘He’ll turn it around’? I’ve been saying that the entire year.
“This one was weird, I thought he’d ramp up. You’re looking at the French Open, at Wimbledon, he said he’s prioritised the Olympics, you felt like the ramp-up was coming. That wasn’t a ramp-up.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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