Novak Djokovic could not contain his frustration during a practice session ahead of the Madrid Open. The Serbian is enduring a disappointing run of form, and those defeats have left the 37-year-old desperate to bounce back.
Djokovic suffered a shock first-round exit in Monte-Carlo, being beaten by Alejandro Tabilo. His loss followed his defeat in the final of the Miami Open to Jakub Mensik, and Djokovic will be hoping to make amends in Spain.
Retired star Andy Murray is hopeful of helping his ex-rival to get back on track, having joined his coaching team in November. The Scot will be hoping to help Djokovic both on and off the court, and his role may include helping the 24-time Grand Slam winner keep a lid on his emotions.
During a practice session in Madrid, Djokovic was unhappy with a series of his shots and was captured on camera uttering: “F*** this sport, f*** tennis, f*** everything.” Tennis fans found the funny side of the X-rated rant, with many suggesting that Murray’s mannerisms may be rubbing off on Djokovic.
With his Madrid Open first-round clash with Matteo Arnaldi set to take place on Saturday, Djokovic will need to brush himself off after what he seemed to feel was a disappointing practice session and ensure that he heads into his opening match in good spirits.
Speaking with Sky Sports, the Serb opened up on his work with Murray and how the pair are working together to focus on how he can ensure he is performing at his peak for the French Open and Wimbledon.
He explained: “The priority is obviously trying to take the level of tennis that currently is maybe not where we want it to be to the higher level so that I can peak at the French Open. That’s where I really want to play my best tennis, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
“Of course, we’re in Madrid, we came in early. We’re putting in a lot of hours in the court and in the gym, trying to perfect the body and the game and basically every aspect of my game to be a few per cent better than it was in the previous weeks. If I can reach that desired level in this tournament, that would be amazing. I don’t have really high expectations and I really hope I can get through the first hurdle and then we’ll take it from there.”
