Novak Djokovic has admitted that he is navigating a “new chapter” in his career despite insisting his “desire” is still high ahead of his Geneva Open campaign.
World No 6 Djokovic is competing at the ATP 250 event for the second straight year, having once again taken a wildcard into the main draw.
The 37-year-old’s decision to accept a wildcard came after a difficult start to his clay swing, which saw him lose in his opening Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Open matches.
Djokovic has not played since his loss to Matteo Arnaldi in Madrid, withdrawing from the Italian Open in the aftermath of his early exit.
2025 has proven a challenging season for the Serbian, with the 24-time Grand Slam champion battling a range of issues.
Djokovic impressed at the Australian Open with a quarter-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz, only to retire injured in his semi-final versus Alexander Zverev.
That kickstarted a run of three straight losses for Djokovic, his worst losing streak since 2018, though he bounced back to reach the final of the Miami Open.
However, he was beaten by Jakub Mensik in the final, and his losses to Alejandro Tabilo in Monte Carlo and Arnaldi in Madrid mean he is once again on a three-match losing run.
Speaking in Geneva ahead of his opening match on Wednesday, Djokovic conceded that the past few months had proven a challenge – but still had the same hunger to compete.
“This is a new chapter in my career that I’m trying to navigate,” said Djokovic.
“I’m not really used to these circumstances, with defeats coming one after the other in the first few rounds – even though I knew it would happen at some point.
“I’m proud of everything I’ve achieved in my career, but I still have the desire to do everything I can to reach my best level so I can win Grand Slam tournaments and beat the best players in the world.
“That’s why I’m here. I want more trophies, I want to build my form ahead of the French Open.”
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The French Open gets underway on Sunday, just one day after the Geneva Open final.
Djokovic is a three-time champion at Roland Garros and is looking to capture a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title in Paris.
The Serbian is also looking to become just the third man to win 100 ATP Tour singles titles, following in the footsteps of Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer.
Currently on 99 titles, Djokovic will hope to hit that milestone in either Geneva or Paris.
And, in a warning shot to his rivals, he revealed his “motivation” to be successful at the Grand Slams remained as high as ever.
He added: “My motivation is still there, but it’s a transition period where I need to understand how my body reacts, where I need to deal better with the circumstances.
“With the idea of being successful, especially at the Grand Slams, even though I want to shine everywhere I play. The majors are the pinnacle of our sport.
“I hope that I can play more than one match here to get a better start to the French Open, the most important tournament on clay.”
Djokovic will face world No 134 Marton Fucscovics in his opening match in Geneva.
The Serbian reached the semi-final of the event twelve months ago, falling to Tomas Machac in three sets.
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