Novak Djokovic says he is ready to fight for an all-time record 25th Major title after an impressive start to his 2025 French Open campaign. The Serb registered a relatively straightforward 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 first-round win over Mackenzie McDonald at Roland Garros. However, things weren’t quite smooth sailing for the former No. 1 coming into the prestigious claycourt Major.
After suffering shocking losses in his opening matches at the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Madrid Open, the ATP No. 6 chose to withdraw from the Italian Open. To prepare for Roland Garros, the Serb accepted a wildcard entry into the main draw of the ATP 250-level Geneva Open. Here, he bounced back and captured his 100th singles title.
Following his straight-set win over McDonald in Paris, Novak Djokovic laid bare how his title triumph in Geneva significantly boosted his confidence. He also admitted that his poor run of form earlier on was a source of concern for him.
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"I actually was considering winning a 25th Grand Slam before so it hasn't changed much, but it's true that after the Geneva title I feel more confident. I feel more positive about my level of play because I had a lot of concerns," the 24-time Grand Slam champion said.
"But now, after Geneva, I feel better, I still have a lot of ambitions, I still have high objectives. I would like to maintain this high level, this dedication hopefully to reach the best possible result," he added.
The Serb's recent resurgence has coincided with a major reshuffle in his coaching setup. He had roped in former rival Andy Murray as his coach ahead of the 2025 tennis season. However, in the buildup to the Geneva Open, he announced that the Brit would no longer be coaching him due to results not being up to their collective expectations. Later, he appointed familiar faces in Dusan Vemic and Boris Bosnjakovic as his new coaches.
The Serb and the Brit came together again at the 2025 French Open for Rafael Nadal's emotional tribute ceremony. Later, the 24-time Major winner revealed how Murray cheekily congratulated him on his success in Geneva.
"Andy Murray was joking" - Novak Djokovic on Brit playfully congratulating him at French Open over Geneva title triumph
On the first day of main draw matches at the 2025 French Open, a tribute ceremony was held in honor of record 14-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray both attended the ceremony, and later, the Serb revealed how Murray congratulated him on winning the Geneva Open.
"In terms of the joke about the tournament, yeah, he did congratulate me, and he said ‘now that you have a proper coach, you're winning tournaments’. I don't know. I didn't take that as a joke. I mean, yeah, of course he was joking, but I think I have said enough, but I will say it again: Andy is just an amazing person," the former No. 1 said.
Up next for Djokovic is a second-round clash against home hope Corentin Moutet. It will mark the pair's third meeting, with the Serb having won the previous two, both in straight sets.
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