Novak Djokovic has downplayed his chances of success at the French Open after admitting he continues to deal with physical issues heading into Grand Slams.<\/p>\n
The soon-to-be 39-year-old has acknowledged that this preparation for Roland Garros has been far from ideal, with the Serbian playing just three tournaments all season.<\/p>\n
Djokovic<\/a> made it to the final of the Australian Open<\/a>, beating Jannik Sinner in a thrilling five-setter in the semi-finals, before losing to eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz.<\/p>\n After winning two matches at Indian Wells in March, the 24-time major winner has played just once on the clay, losing to Dino Prizmic in his Rome opener.<\/p>\n Heading into the French Open<\/a>, Djokovic\u2019s chances of winning a fourth title in Paris have been given a boost following defending champion Alcaraz<\/a>\u2018s injury withdrawal. But he himself has highlighted a litany of personal problems ahead of the tournament.<\/p>\n More Novak Djokovic news<\/p>\n French Open: Novak Djokovic told he \u2018could lose to anyone\u2019 by former world No 2<\/a><\/p>\n Wimbledon: Should Novak Djokovic skip French Open after latest Carlos Alcaraz news?<\/a><\/p>\n Want more from Tennis365? Add us as\u00a0a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a>\u00a0for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n Djokovic said that he is half a step slower these days, which is not surprising as he is knocking on the door of 40 in an ultra physical sport.<\/p>\n His lack of matches is a concern, as is the fact that his body appears to be failing him. But, this is the new normal for the veteran.<\/p>\n He told reporters, \u201cIt is frustrating. At the same time it\u2019s my decision to still perform in that kind of state and conditions. I see what I\u2019m missing. Late half a step. I\u2019m not definitely where I want to be for the highest level and to compete at the highest level, and to be able to get far.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not an ideal preparation, to be honest. I don\u2019t recall the last time I had in the last couple of years a preparation where I didn\u2019t have any kind of physical issues or health issues coming into the tournament. There\u2019s always something. Kind of a new reality that I have to deal with.<\/p>\n \u201cI train hard. I train as much as the body allows me to. Then how it turns out on the court, that\u2019s really unpredictable.\u201d<\/p>\n Djokovic will be seeded third in Paris, behind world No 1 Sinner<\/a> and second seed Alexander Zverev<\/a>. He may fancy his chances in a one-off match against the pair but the hardest part may reaching the semi-finals and final.<\/p>\n One thing is certain, though. Never count Djokovic \u2013 who made the semi-finals last year \u2013 out.<\/p>\n