Speaking to reporters before digging into his gluten-free birthday cake, 28-year-old Novak Djokovic says he’s motivated, confident and excited—but no promises about winning Roland Garros and setting off a tinderbox of calendar-year Grand Slam talk at the end of the upcoming Paris fortnight.
Like Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, the rest of us will just have to be patient and wait and see.
"There is always a little bit of extra motivation for me coming into this Roland-Garros," The 8-time major champion said. "It is obviously very encouraging knowing that I have won all of the big events from last October and playing some of the best tennis of my life. Coming into Roland-Garros with that amount of confidence helps. It encourages me to step onto the court and compete.”
Djokovic, who is slated to face Nadal in the quarterfinals, says that he’s felt the pressure of being expected to break his duck at Roland Garros for some time now. Though 0-6 against Nadal at Roland Garros lifetime, Djokovic has gained the upper hand against the king of clay on all other surfaces. Not counting the French Open, Djokovic has won five of his last seven against Nadal away from Paris on clay.
"I have had this particular situation before and especially in the last two years where I was coming into Roland-Garros and people were speculating, 'is this the year or not?' he said. "I'm here once again with a purpose, with a reason and I will try to get myself in a position to win a trophy. But I can't predict anything. I can't guarantee I can go all the way."
Djokovic will open with Finn Jarkko Nieminen in his first-round match, and the two highest seeds he could face before the quarterfinals are South Africa’s Kevin Anderson [15] and France’s Richard Gasquet [20]. But all eyes are on the potential quarterfinal with his longtime rival Nadal.
"He is still playing his best tennis on clay courts in Paris," Djokovic said. "He has lost only one match in his entire career here. That record speaks enough about his level of play… We are both aiming to play our best and as the tournament progresses we will already play at a high level. I just need to do what I do best, taking one day at a time, having the proper positive mindset that doesn't allow me to think too much in advance."