2 weeks Ago By Charlie Parker-Turner
During a tense practice session for the Madrid Open, tennis great Novak Djokovic let his frustrations bubble over. The Serbian is wrestling with a slump, a stark contrast to his usual dominant performances, propelling his determination to rebound. Djokovic was dealt an unexpected blow at the Monte-Carlo tournament with a first-round elimination at the hands of Alejandro Tabilo.
This upset trailed his Miami Open final loss to Jakub Mensik, piling on the pressure to redeem himself on the Spanish courts. Amidst these trials, retired tennis icon Andy Murray joined Djokovic's coaching squad last November in hopes to guide his former adversary back to form. Murray's anticipated contributions include shoring up Djokovic’s mental game while also providing strategic insights.
However, Djokovic's annoyance was palpable during a training run in Madrid when he was caught expressing his exasperation: "F--- this sport, f--- tennis, f--- everything." Despite the intensity of his expletive-laden outburst, it stirred amusement among tennis enthusiasts who mused that Djokovic might be channeling some classic Murray fire. With the looming Madrid Open kicking into gear and his upcoming bout against Matteo Arnaldi on Saturday, Djokovic is put to the test to recalibrate after what felt like a subpar practice and approach his opening round with a rejuvenated mindset.
In a candid discussion with Sky Sports, the Serbian tennis star shared insights into his collaboration with Murray, focusing on elevating his game in time for the French Open and Wimbledon. He detailed their approach: "The priority is obviously trying to take the level of tennis that currently is maybe not where we want it to be to the higher level so that I can peak at the French Open. That's where I really want to play my best tennis, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Don't miss...
Stefanos Tsitsipas breaks silence after walking out of Barcelona Open match [LATEST] Carlos Alcaraz takes inspiration from Rafael Nadal after loss in Barcelona [LATEST] Carlos Alcaraz shows his true colors after losing to Holger Rune in Barcelona [LATEST] "Of course, we're in Madrid, we came in early. We're putting in a lot of hours in the court and in the gym, trying to perfect the body and the game and basically every aspect of my game to be a few per cent better than it was in the previous weeks. "If I can reach that desired level in this tournament, that would be amazing.
I don't have really high expectations and I really hope I can get through the first hurdle and then we'll take it from there.".
