While Novak Djokovic is the favorite at Roland Garros, according to former doubles standout Todd Woodbridge, the world No. 1 will be facing an entirely different kind of pressure at the only Grand Slam tournament he has failed to win. Djokovic has not lost since February and has won all four ATP Masters 1000 events he has played this year, at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Rome. He also won the Australian Open to increase his major title total to eight. He is currently on a 22-match winning streak.
“There’s a fine line between being prepared and overdone, and my sense is he now has placed enormous pressure on himself due to the brilliance of his season so far,” said Woodbridge, who works for Tennis Australia. “Regardless of who you are it wouldn’t be human not think about the streak and when the inevitable loss may come. Perhaps it may have been better to have lost a match over the last month, just to release the pressure valve a little and redirect some attention to the others.”
After beating Roger Federer in the final of Rome on Sunday, Djokovic said he is very confident and he understands the pressure he’ll face, but that he can handle it. Woodbridge recalled when Federer, the favorite to win gold at Wimbledon during the 2012 Olympics, came out flat in the gold-medal match against Andy Murray.
“Sometimes knowing how close you are can cause you to expend an enormous amount of emotional energy,” Woodbridge said. “So the biggest factor over the next couple of weeks for Djokovic will be coping with his nerves. Both physical and mental strength are tested more on clay than any other surface, and it will be absorbing viewing. Fortunately for Djokovic, no player is presently better equipped to deal with this.”
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