Novak Djokovic chasing career milestone ahead of Geneva Open debut

Novak Djokovic is set to make his debut at the Geneva Open on Tuesday, May 20. The current World No. 6 will look to regain top form and capture a title that would mark a historic achievement for both himself and the sport of tennis.

The Serbian superstar has seen limited action on the ATP Tour in recent weeks. Since reaching the final of the Miami Masters 1000—where he lost to Jakub Mensik on March 30—he has played just two matches. One came in Monte-Carlo, where he suffered a first-round loss to Alejandro Tabilo; the other was in Madrid, where he again had a forgettable debut, this time against Matteo Arnaldi.

Following those unexpected defeats, Novak withdrew from the Rome Open to focus on his physical and competitive preparation. Now, with just two matches played in the past month and a half, he’s ready to return in Geneva—chasing a goal that could place him in an exclusive club.

If he wins the title at the Swiss clay-court tournament, Djokovic would become just the third player to reach 100 official titles since the start of the Open era in 1968. Only two legends have achieved that feat before: Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).

Djokovic will make his Geneva Open debut next Tuesday

With 99 titles to his name, Novak has been on the doorstep of this milestone for almost a year. He hasn’t won an ATP Tour title since November 2023, when he claimed the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. Interestingly, his only title in 2024 was the gold medal he won at the Paris Olympic Games with Serbia.

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Who’s competing at the Geneva Open?

With Roland Garros just over a week away, top players around the world have chosen different strategies to prepare for the Grand Slam. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, for example, had originally planned to compete at the Hamburg Open next week, but withdrew after reaching the final of the Rome Open, where he’ll face Carlos Alcaraz this Sunday.

Alexander Zverev chose the opposite path. The German star was eliminated in the Rome quarterfinals, and with a long wait ahead of the French Open, accepted a wild card from Hamburg organizers to enter the tournament.

Djokovic, on the other hand, pulled out of the Rome Open and didn’t opt for Hamburg either. Instead, he chose a smaller event. The Geneva Open is an ATP 250 tournament, meaning it will feature less intense competition. That could allow Novak to go deeper into the draw, gain valuable match rhythm ahead of Roland Garros, and—if all goes well—claim his long-awaited 100th career title.

Djokovic’s path in Geneva

Novak Djokovic will make his Geneva Open debut on Tuesday, May 20, in the round of 16. His opponent is yet to be determined and will emerge from Monday’s first-round matchup between Marton Fucsovics of Hungary and Zizou Bergs of Belgium. If he advances in his debut, Nole could face a potential quarterfinal clash with his Madrid conqueror, Matteo Arnaldi.