French Open: Novak Djokovic Vents Frustration at Scheduling Debacle That Forced Him to Push Physical Limits

Novak Djokovic’s late-night showdown at the French Open ultimately secured him another spot in the history of the sport. But, the question of scheduling still remains a point of despair for World No. 1. Speaking about it to the press, the 37-year-old player who defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the third round, addressed the “scheduling” problem that has been a source of concern for him during the match.

The three-time French Open champion mercilessly defeated Musetti during a thrilling four-and-a-half-hour match with 7-5, 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0. However, this match, which was supposed to start at 8.15 p.m., was pushed to 10.30 p.m. due to an added incomplete match on Phillipe Chatrier. Hence, the match stretched over 3 a.m. in the morning. As a result, the 24-grand slam champion’s frustration was palpable.

“When you’re playing a 20+ rally at 2 am… Who plays at 2 am? You play a few matches in your life at this time. It was so muggy and so heavy conditions, very cold, the balls were not going anywhere. You weren’t getting too many free points off the serve, so you had to work every single point of the night tonight, and that’s why I really physically pushed myself to the limit tonight,” Novak Djokovic told the press after the match.

However, Djokovic did not want to focus on the unfortunate matter of scheduling, as he further added, “there are great things to talk about instead. I don’t want to be talking about scheduling.” Rather, he mentioned the brighter side and addressed the crowd who chanted his name in support even late in the morning, which, according to him, gave him “a great new wave of willpower and energy.”

Naturally, after the match, he showed his gratitude to them and stated, “I want to thank all of you. And of course, the crowd and everybody that stayed until 3.30 a.m. I heard it was the latest finish of Roland Garros in history. So I am glad to be part of the history with Lorenzo.” 

As pointed out by him, surprisingly, the late-night match also added one more record to his ever-growing achievement list. His clash against Musetti shattered previous records for late-night finishes at Roland Garros. How? Well, the last time it happened was when Rafael Nadal won over Jannik Sinner in a 2020 quarterfinal match in Paris. 

That match also stretched till 1.26 a.m. in the morning. But this time, the limits were pushed even harder by Novak Djokovic. However, it ended up being a blessing in disguise for the Serbian. But the journey was not smooth, leading up to the victory, as he mentioned later.

Novak Djokovic explains the reason which helped him win the match against Lorenzo

Novak Djokovic, who is vying for a 25th Grand Slam victory this year, further disclosed how playing against the Italian pro proved to be tougher than he had imagined. But defying all odds, Djokovic, who later stated, “I really wanted to win this match, and it was very close,” emerged victorious and is soon going to battle Francisco Cerundolo in his upcoming fourth-round match. But before that, he addressed the difficulties he faced in his latest match.

“I was in real trouble on the court and he was playing some really amazing tennis. I didn’t know really what to do,” he began. But according to him, what turned his energy up was the love and support he received from the fans on-court. 

“I think I was a different player from that moment onwards. And I think from that moment, I probably lost only one game in the rest of the match. I was on a high, riding that wave,” he concluded his statement. As Novak Djokovic continues his quest for success, hopefully, he will overcome every problem that comes his way, be it a tight schedule or a tough match.