Ahead of Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic ends awful streak in Geneva Open debut

As part of his preparations for Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic chose to compete in the Geneva Open, an ATP 250 event that few other stars on the tour opted to enter. In his debut appearance, the World No. 6 earned a 6-2, 6-3 win over Marton Fucsovics and delivered an optimistic message afterward.

“My first win this season on clay,” Djokovic highlighted after the match in Switzerland, according to the official ATP Tour website. That detail is far from minor, considering his disappointing performances in previous tournaments and the major challenge that lies ahead. “It is great to break the ice in a way.”

This year, Novak had played only two matches on clay prior to this tournament. The first came in the round of 32 at the Monte-Carlo Masters 1000, where he was defeated by Alejandro Tabilo. A few weeks later, he suffered a similar fate in his Madrid Open debut, losing to Matteo Arnaldi. He also skipped the Rome event, which contributed to what has been a particularly rough clay-court season.

“It is a very demanding surface,” Djokovic admitted after his victory over Fucsovics. “We all know how tricky it is to play on clay, compared to the other surfaces, you always have to expect an extra ball, an extra shot.”

Matteo Arnaldi will be Djokovic’s next rival at Geneva

Djokovic points to key factor in his win

Reflecting on the specific traits that make clay different from other surfaces, Novak Djokovic commented on how he adapted his game to the conditions in Geneva. “Here, a bit more altitude, so it helps if you have a good serve. Today I think that was my strongest shot. I had a high percentage of first serves, a lot of free points on the first serve when I needed, to get out of trouble,” he explained.

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“I think it makes life on the court a bit easier, so I am very glad to be able to play the best tennis when needed,” said the former World No. 1. “All the way through, I was quite focused and pleased with the level of tennis, so hopefully that can continue tomorrow.”

What’s next for Djokovic?

With his round of 16 win at the Geneva Open behind him, Djokovic now faces a tougher challenge in the quarterfinals. There, he will go up against the man responsible for his most recent defeat: Matteo Arnaldi. The Italian player beat Novak in Madrid and now stands as his next opponent in Switzerland.

Arnaldi, current World No. 39, is the eighth seed at the Geneva Open and began his campaign with wins over Hugo Gaston and Fabian Marozsan. His quarterfinal clash with Djokovic is set for Thursday.