Novak Djokovic has said his preparation and physical condition have been ‘positive’ since his defeat at the Italian Open, adding that he believes he still has ‘options’ to stop Jannik Sinner’s dominance and win the French Open.

The Serb has endured a mixed 2026 season, having reached the Australian Open final before winning just two matches since.

Djokovic typically plays several events ahead of Roland Garros in order to build up crucial clay-court rhythm after spending around eight months competing primarily on hard courts.

However, lingering shoulder discomfort forced him to withdraw from tournaments in Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid.

The former world No 1 eventually returned at the Italian Open, but suffered a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 defeat to Croatian Dino Prizmic in his opening match.

“I wanted to play more, but my body was not allowing me. I was going through rehabilitation process for my injury,” Djokovic admitted during his pre-tournament press conference.

“So after Indian Wells, it was, yeah, just not possible for me to compete for several months. That’s the reason why.

“Really wanted to go to Rome to give it a shot and try and, you know, see how I feel.

“I was far from being ready to compete, but still, I needed at least that one match just to have the score called by chair umpire and have experience of the nerves before I eventually come to Roland Garros, which at that point I didn’t know if I was going to be able to play or not.

“Thankfully, the response of the body and the preparation has been positive in the last 10 days, so here I am, and we’ll see what happens.”

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Djokovic is a three-time champion in Paris, having lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires in 2016, 2021, and 2023.

He is also the only man to have defeated Rafael Nadal multiple times at the tournament, doing so in both 2015 and 2021.

Last season, Djokovic reached the semi-finals after dropping just one set before losing to Sinner 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(1).

This year, two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is absent from the tournament after suffering a wrist injury in April, an issue that will also rule him out of the entire grass-court season.

With Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune, and Jack Draper all missing from the draw, Djokovic believes he still “has options” to make a deep run over the next fortnight.

“Well, he’s the two-time defending champion at Roland Garros, so obviously it’s a big loss for the tournament,” said Djokovic.

“But honestly, it doesn’t change my approach too much. I’ve been through difficult physical moments over the last six to eight months, and that has been my main focus.

“I haven’t really thought about whether I have a better chance without Carlos or not. If I’m healthy and able to maintain a high physical level throughout the tournament, then I always believe I have a chance.

“It’s clear that I won’t have the same freshness at the start of the tournament as I would at the end. But if I can stay physically strong and keep progressing through the draw, I think I always have a great opportunity.

“I showed that this year in Australia, where I came close to winning another Grand Slam. I always carry that belief when I step onto the court.”

Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slam singles titles, tied with Margaret Court for the most in tennis history, meaning another major triumph would move him clear of every other player.

His most recent Grand Slam victory came at the 2023 US Open, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final.

However, despite the absence of the two-time defending champion, Djokovic will still face a daunting challenge if he is to claim a 25th major title.

Should he reach the final, world No 1 Sinner is projected to await him.

The Italian enters Roland Garros on a 29-match winning streak after winning all five Masters 1000 tournaments contested this season, including all three clay-court events, becoming the first player since Nadal in 2010 to achieve the feat.

“I want to congratulate him [Sinner] again. I already did so on social media, but once more, it’s an incredible achievement for him and his team,” Djokovic added.

“We’ve spoken a lot about how impressive he is across all surfaces. Maybe some people questioned whether he could be as dominant on clay as he is on hard courts, but he has proved that he can be.

“Becoming one of only two players in history to complete the Golden Masters is extremely difficult. I know that better than most, so I congratulate him because it’s a huge achievement.

“And he’s still very young, with plenty of time ahead of him.

“I think he’s also chasing the Career Grand Slam here, if I’m not mistaken. He’s probably playing the best tennis of his career right now.

“And Carlos’ absence only increases his chances of continuing to win Grand Slam titles. We are all here trying to stop him and prevent him from adding even more trophies.”

Indeed, should Sinner win the French Open, he would complete the Career Grand Slam, an achievement most recently accomplished by Alcaraz in January.

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