Novak Djokovic will arrive at Roland Garros this year at 100%. At least, that’s how the Serbian feels after winning the Masters 1,000 in Rome with authority and great tennis in the final against Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Serbian has recovered his essence just in time to face his first Grand Slam of 2022, having been banned from the Australian Open due to his refusal to take a COVID vaccination. In the middle of this week, Nole will travel to Paris with his team, reduced this year to three members, the coach Goran Ivanisevic, the physio Ulises Badio and the physical trainer Marco Panichi, in addition to his agents, Edoardo Artaldi and Elena Capellaro. She will do it with a lot of “confidence” and “good feelings” about his “possibilities”.
When he was eliminated in mid-April by Alejandro Davidovich, Djokovic was still very short of preparation after having played only one tournament, at the end of February, in Dubai., where he was dropped in quarters by Jiri Vesely. A month later, everything has changed for him. “I couldn’t ask for a better preparation for Roland Garros. Andn Belgrade I worked on the tournament physically. Then, in Madrid, I had better performances, but still maybe not so sharp in the decisive moments. And in Rome, everything came together and there was a click.”, said the Balkan, who in the Italian capital usually reaches his “peak” in terms of ground campaign. Badio is a decisive bastion in the development of the number one in the world.
He describes his employer and friend, he did it in an interview for AS at the end of last year, as “a Ferrari”., and now he thinks that it is difficult for him to go stronger, because he already flies. The Italian of Argentine origin treats the body of the current Roland Garros champion as if he were preparing it every day “for a Grand Slam”. “If the player is not 100%, he must feel that way,” he argues.
therapy and spirituality
Badio’s sessions with Djokovic are therapeutic. And everything that surrounds Djokovic has a spiritual component. “From the way I’ve felt on and off the court, I think I can go far (in Paris),” says Novak, who will meet Nadal there, his “greatest rival of all time.” “As long as he keeps playing, I’ll play too.” His legendary fight will continue as long as their strength reaches them.