Novak Djokovic is training with a Grand Slam winner as he gets ready for Roland Garros.
Novak Djokovic is aiming to win his 25th Grand Slam title at the French Open at Roland Garros. However, he knows he’s not the favorite this time – that honor goes to Jannik Sinner.
The 24-year-old Sinner is playing great right now, having just won the Italian Open last weekend. He’s won the last six ATP Masters 1000 events, with five of those coming in 2026.
While many might think Sinner’s form would intimidate Djokovic’s rivals, Djokovic himself isn’t scared. Instead, he’s motivated to prove the odds wrong and claim the trophy.
Djokovic enters the French Open as the third seed, behind Sinner and Alexander Zverev. This happened after Carlos Alcaraz withdrew due to a wrist injury.
Even though Djokovic is determined, he might worry a little because he’s only played one competitive clay court match recently. That match was at the Italian Open, where he was surprisingly knocked out early by Dino Prizmic, raising some questions about Djokovic’s fitness.
To get ready and stay sharp for Roland Garros, Djokovic has played some warm-up matches – including one against Zverev and another against Marin Cilic, a former Grand Slam champion.
Cilic, who won the US Open in 2014, played an hour-long match on Court Simone Mathieu in front of a packed crowd eager to see two former champions face off.
Djokovic and Cilic have been rivals for a long time, first meeting in 2008 at the Dubai Tennis Championships, where Djokovic won. Over the years, Djokovic has dominated their matches, winning 20 out of 22 times and knocking Cilic out of five Grand Slams.
Their last match was in 2015 at the Shanghai Masters, where Djokovic also came out on top.
Right now, Cilic is ranked No. 46 in the world, making him a good opponent for Djokovic to regain his form and confidence after his unexpected loss in Italy.