Djokovic Loses in Geneva, Doubts Linger Ahead of French Open

Novak Djokovic's quest to defend his French Open title has hit a roadblock after he suffered a disappointing loss in the Geneva Open semifinals. The 44th-ranked Tomas Machac stunned the world's top-ranked player 6-4, 0-6, 6-1, leaving Djokovic with doubts about his form heading into Roland Garros.

Djokovic's record in 2024 has been far from impressive, with a 14-6 overall record and a 0-3 mark in semifinals, including a defeat to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open. The Serb admitted that he is not the favorite for the French Open, where he has won two of the past three titles and three overall among his record 24 Grand Slam singles titles.

"I don't consider myself a favorite there," Djokovic said. "I'm going to take it match by match and see how far I can go."

Machac, a 22-year-old Czech, played with confidence and aggression, breaking Djokovic's serve five times and forcing him into 27 unforced errors. Djokovic took a medical timeout after the first set for a stomach issue, but it did not seem to affect his performance significantly.

"It was a terrible feeling with my stomach and health today," Djokovic said. "It was not a great night and today as well. I don't want to take anything away from his win, he deserved it."

Machac will face two-time Geneva champion Casper Ruud or unseeded Flavio Cobolli in the final. Ruud, the French Open runner-up for the past two years, is considered a strong contender for the title this year.

Djokovic's loss in Geneva raises questions about his form and fitness ahead of the French Open. The Serb has not won a tournament since Wimbledon last year and has struggled to find his best tennis in 2024. He will need to improve his consistency and reduce his unforced errors if he wants to challenge for the title in Paris.

Tags: #Tennis, #FrenchOpen, #NovakDjokovic, #TomasMachac, #GenevaOpen