"If Novak Djokovic gets three or four matches in at Geneva Open, that would be great" - Jimmy Connors assesses Serb's French Open preparations
Jimmy Connors has assessed Novak Djokovic's preparations ahead of the 2024 French Open. The World No. 1 is set to begin his maiden campaign at the Geneva Open on Wednesday, May 22.
The Serb has endured a difficult season so far by his lofty standards, winning 12 out of 17 matches so far with two semifinal appearances under his belt. For the most part, his performances have been underwhelming, and unsurprisingly, he has no titles across four tournament outings.
He has also bowed out of a couple of prestigious events following shock losses to unfancied opponents. These include third-round exits at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the recently-concluded Italian Open to Luca Nardi and Alejandro Tabilo, respectively..
Tennis legend Jimmy Connors recently shared his opinion on Djokovic's Geneva Open participation in an episode of the Advantage Connors podcast, which he hosts with his son, Brett.
The 71-year-old opined that the Serb made the correct decision by taking the Geneva Open wild card. He said that if Djokovic was able to play three or four matches in Geneva, it could improve his chances of defending his French Open title.
"You got to do what's best for yourself because getting to Paris and getting settled in and getting used to the surroundings, from the hotel to the courts, all that is a big part of your attitude towards going in and playing. So, if he gets three or four matches in (at the Geneva Open), that would be great," Connors said (18:38).
Novak Djokovic to make Geneva Open debut against Yannick Hanfmann
Djokovic's maiden Geneva Open outing will see him square off against German Yannick Hanfmann, who entered the ATP 250 tournament at the back of second round exits at the Italian Open and a challenger event in Turin.
Hanfmann faced former World No. 1 Andy Murray in the first round and registered a 7-5, 6-2 win over him to book his place in the second round in Geneva. The German thus leveled his head-to-head record against the 37-year-old Brit.
The second-round meeting between Djokovic and Hanfmann would be their very first on the ATP Tour, with the winner of the match taking on either sixth seed Tallon Griekspoor or Denis Shapovalov in the third round of the Geneva Open.