Coach Marian Vajda admitted that Novak Djokovic struggled in his first tournaments because he missed matches. Djokovic, 34, had hoped to start his season in Australia but ended in complete chaos.
During his stay in Australia, Djokovic’s visa was revoked twice and he was arrested twice. Djokovic started his 2022 season in Dubai where he reached the quarter-finals before suffering a shock defeat to Jerry Vesely.
Djokovic also suffered a shock defeat by Alejandro Davidovic Fokina in his first match in Monte Carlo before finishing second behind Andrei Rublev in the Belgrade final. On Tuesday, Djokovic started his season in Madrid by defeating Gael Monfils by a straight set.
Vajda: Djokovic should be fine at the French Open
“He wasn’t at his best due to problems at the beginning of the year. He doesn’t have enough matches under his belt so now he’s trying to play where he can.
He’s back to his old self, even if he wasn’t at his best in the final in Belgrade. He might have some problems in Madrid and Rome, but I think he will be ready for Roland Garros,” Vajda told Tennis Majors.
In early March, Djokovic and Vajda announced the end of their long-standing partnership. This week Vajda announced his acceptance to be Alex Mulkan’s new head coach. After Djokovic broke up, Vajda wanted to coach a Slovak and it was perfect when Mulcan offered him a job.
“I am happy to be coaching the best Slovak player, and that was the deciding factor,” he said. “I received many offers after my collaboration with Novak ended, but I wanted to help a Slovak player – who gave me new energy.” Interestingly, Mulcan stood in Belgrade last year for his first ATP Final – where he was beaten by Djokovic.
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