Concerning scenes for Novak Djokovic at Geneva Open as Serb suffers from tremors in his hand on the way to shock SF exit
Novak Djokovic displayed concerning signs during his semifinal clash against Tomas Machac at the 2024 Geneva Open as the Serb suffered from tremors in his hand during the opening set. Djokovic went on to lose the match in three sets, and will now arrive at Roland Garros without a title under his belt this season.
The World No. 1 dropped the first set 4-6 against Machac, during which he appeared visibly ill. Seated in his players' bench during a changeover, the camera caught the 24-time Grand Slam champion's hands shaking as he put on a forlorn face while taking in liquid supplements.
Although the 37-year-old recovered to bagel the Czech in the second set, he fell uncharacteristically quick in the third set, losing 1-6. The Serb now has three semifinal exits in 2024, including the ones at the Australian Open and the Monte-Carlo Masters, with no title to show for it.
It should be noted that conditions in Geneva are unusually hot this year, and the World No. 1 was asked about the heat after his quarterfinal win over Tallon Griekspoor. Djokovic, however, downplayed the impact of the conditions, stating that it was no problem for him.
"I never use sun protection and nothing has ever happened to me. The inner immunity is reflected in all aspects. After playing 4/5 hours in Australia with 40ยบ I feel like my nose is red, but that's all. It's no problem for me," he said.
In the clay season, Djokovic played only at the Italian Open in addition to Geneva and Monte-Carlo, losing in the third round to Alejandro Tabilo. He also suffered a freak head injury at the tournament, but has since assured fans that he has recovered from it.
Novak Djokovic to begin French Open 2024 campaign against Pierre-Hugues Herbert
Following the end of his campaign in Geneva, Novak Djokovic will be in action next at the French Open. The Serb is slated to kickstart his title defense in Paris against French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Down the line, Djokovic is projected to take on American Tommy Paul in the fourth round, along with a potential quarterfinal clash against last year's runner-up Casper Ruud. In the semifinals, the World No. 1 is likely to face either 4th seed Alexander Zverev or record 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal, while World No. 2 Jannik Sinner and World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz are the favorites to reach the final from the bottom half of the draw.