Novak Djokovic was seen by a doctor after the first set of his surprise Geneva Open semi-final defeat to Tomas Machac on Friday. The scare and the result don’t bode well for the Serb just days ahead of his French Open first-round meeting with Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Things began to unravel for Djokovic when he spurned a 4-1 lead in the first set, losing five games on the trot as Machac took it 6-4. A visit from the doctor followed as the 37-year-old appeared to be struggling physically on court.
Fears were initially eased when Djokovic came roaring back with a bagel in the next set. But it may have been a case of the tennis veteran emptying the tank as, in the deciding third, Machac dominated to take the match 6-4 0-6 6-1 and make his first ATP Tour final.
It was only the second time in Djokovic’s career that he lost a match in which he won a set 6-0, with the other coming 12 years ago at the Paris Masters. The surprising result and the doctor’s visit came at an ominous time for the 24-time Grand Slam winner.
Djokovic will be gunning for more major glory at the French Open, which gets underway this weekend. In amongst his vast Grand Slam haul, only three titles have come at Roland Garros, making it his least successful of the four majors.
Heading into the clay-court season’s showpiece event anything less than 100 per cent may therefore be a worry for Djokovic, who had looked impressive going into his three-set defeat to Machac in Switzerland.
Yannick Hanfmann and sixth seed Tallon Griekspoor were both dispatched without a fuss earlier this week before world No 1 Djokovic was sent packing by his 44th-ranked opponent.
Rafael Nadal has been the man to beat at Roland Garros over the past two decades, but questions remain over the Spaniard’s physical state as he heads to Paris as a competitor for what could be the final time.
It certainly won’t be straightforward for Nadal as sixth seed Alexander Zverev awaits him in the first round. Djokovic, meanwhile, has drawn an easier opponent on paper in Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who gained entry to the main draw as a wildcard.