Novak Djokovic leaves Andy Roddick stunned with decision ahead of French Open

Andy Roddick has voiced his surprise at Novak Djokovic's unexpected decision to participate in a tournament just before the French Open.

The second Grand Slam of the year kicks off at Roland-Garros on Sunday, with most top players opting for rest and practice sessions. However, Serbian ace Djokovic took many by surprise when he decided to compete in the Geneva Open, where he celebrated his 1,100th ATP Tour victory after defeating Yannick Hanfmann in straight sets on Wednesday.

This move was triggered by his surprising early departure from the Italian Open due to Chile's Alejandro Tabilo earlier this month, just two days after being accidentally hit on the head by a water bottle. After undergoing tests, the world number one requested a wild card into the Swiss tournament and is set to play again in the quarter-finals today (Thursday).

The current French Open champion's participation in the low-key tournament has both delighted and surprised former US Open winner Roddick, 41. He told The Tennis Channel Podcast: "I like the move and I'm also shocked by it.

"You know, it's strange because he has been so confident just entering the biggest tournaments in the world without a lot of prep work, right?

"He's made a habit of that and been successful at it over the last three or four years. So, it definitely proves the point that we've been beating home all week that if something is different, you need matches even the best of all time.

"Sometimes you need some reps and some real reps, right? You can feel great in practice, you can't mimic that. So I think it's the right move. And hey, I'm sure I'm sure the Geneva Open is pretty pumped about getting him for free."

HAVE YOUR SAY! What do you think about Djokovic's decision to play in Geneva? Tell us in the comments section

novak djokovic leaves andy roddick stunned with decision ahead of french open

Novak Djokovic at the Italian Open 2024

Djokovic hopes this appearance will prepare him well for his French Open defence. The 24-time Grand Slam champion triumphed over Casper Rudd in last year's final, securing his third Roland-Garros title in straight sets.

The victory also made him the oldest winner of the event in the Open Era at 36 years and 20 days old, surpassing the previous record held by Rafael Nadal. The Spanish icon won the 2022 edition at 36 years and two days old - a difference of 18 days.

OTHER NEWS

15 minutes ago

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is Teasing Answers to a Big Qunari Mystery

15 minutes ago

Fed's Bowman Says 'Not Yet' Appropriate to Cut Rates

15 minutes ago

Why Dunkin' Donuts' New Commercial Actress Looks So Familiar

15 minutes ago

Costly election pledges in France stoke fears of splurges that risk pushing country deeper into debt

15 minutes ago

Mark Cuban offloads 14 NFTs from his collection in two days

15 minutes ago

Rashee Rice on maturity: 'This is a step in a better direction for me'

15 minutes ago

Oleksandr Usyk no longer undisputed champion just a month after beating Tyson Fury

15 minutes ago

Julian Assange formally admits spying charge as part of a plea deal with US authorities

15 minutes ago

The Continuous Hockey Hall of Fame Snub of Former Maple Leafs Forward Alex Mogilny is Starting to Get Ridiculous

18 minutes ago

Kelowna city manager earned $100K more than B.C. premier in 2023

21 minutes ago

Higher ed: Top CUNY official gets eye-popping 16% pay bump, bringing salary to over $320K

21 minutes ago

Sydney’s Luna Park listed for sale, tipped to fetch $70m price tag

21 minutes ago

LeBron James And Anthony Davis Want The Lakers To Go "All-In" On Another Superstar

21 minutes ago

Kane on England - Slovenia and Bayern Munich future

21 minutes ago

Government lays foundation for social housing upswing

21 minutes ago

Glastonbury weather forecast: Festival to be dry says Met Office - but it still may rain

21 minutes ago

Fatima Payman avoids expulsion from Labor Party

21 minutes ago

Alimentation Couche-Tard earnings drop as consumers watch spending

21 minutes ago

Ravens TE says he's a 'chess piece,' will play all over field

21 minutes ago

PFF ranks Falcons' defensive line among the worst in NFL

21 minutes ago

England booed after advancing at Euro 2024

24 minutes ago

Canada beat 10-man Peru 1-0 to boost Copa America knockout stage hopes

24 minutes ago

Keppel Infrastructure Trust unit secures $612.5 million green loan

29 minutes ago

American woman goes missing while attending yoga retreat in the Bahamas

29 minutes ago

Woman pleads guilty to murder of Hollywood consultant and social justice advocate

29 minutes ago

BHP shares fall on decarbonisation update

29 minutes ago

When was the first Black Barbie made? Later than you think, as we learn in this new Netflix documentary

29 minutes ago

There may be a deeper meaning to Andy Petree's sudden retirement

29 minutes ago

New York judge lifts parts of Donald Trump's gag order ahead of presidential debate

29 minutes ago

Jonathan Jackson is returning to “General Hospital” as Lucky Spencer

29 minutes ago

AMD: ‘We are running as fast as we possibly can’

29 minutes ago

This is Fernando Alonso’s ‘extreme’ Aston Martin: the V12, manual-only Valiant

29 minutes ago

Moses injury scare forces crucial Blues switch

29 minutes ago

Apartment, townhouse regulators to face new crackdown

29 minutes ago

How The 1958 Bonneville Saved Pontiac From Chevrolet

29 minutes ago

T20 World Cup semi-finals - schedule, key players & how to follow

29 minutes ago

Kylian Mbappe makes goalscoring return to France line-up but draw could prove costly

31 minutes ago

Stanley Cup fun facts: Height, weight, names and more

32 minutes ago

Multiple people ID'd teen in shooting of retired CPD officer, 2nd attacker sought, prosecutors say

33 minutes ago

Urgent need to investigate Trump’s business assets in Scotland, say Greens