Report on Djokovic's Withdrawal from Rome: "As a Novak Fan, It's Worrying"
For the first time since 2006, Novak Djokovic will not be competing in the Rome Masters 1000 draw. The Serbian, a six-time champion of the tournament (2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2020, and 2022), decided to skip it after early exits in Monte-Carlo and Madrid.
This withdrawal has raised doubts and surprised former world No. 1 Jim Courier: "Did he mention a reason? As a Novak fan, it’s worrying. Rome is usually the best tournament to prepare for Roland-Garros—the playing conditions are very similar.
We’re back at sea level. If you have to choose between Madrid and Rome, Rome is the tournament that will get you ready for Roland-Garros.
So I don’t know what to make of it, but I don’t like how it feels. It’s very strange to announce his withdrawal now, well before the tournament starts. We’ll see what it means when we get to Roland-Garros."
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