Novak Djokovic's Rome Withdrawal Sparks 'Worrying' Assessment From Former No. 1s
NewsWednesday, 30 April 2025 at 14:00
Novak Djokovic won't play at the Italian Open in Rome this year, which is a worrying sign, according to two former World No. 1 players.
Djokovic had played the Italian Open every year since 2006. It was one of the few tournaments that the Serbian player never missed. In fact, it was the only ATP Masters 1000 tournament that he never missed, but that will change this year.
The six-time champion announced his withdrawal way before the start of the tournament in Rome, indicating either a bigger problem or a significant change in plans.
At the moment, it's not clear why the 37-year-old made the decision not to play in the Italian capital, but regardless of the reasoning, Djokovic's withdrawal worried former ATP World No. 1 player Jim Courier.
Courier talked about the 24-time Grand Slam champion's withdrawal during an appearance on Tennis Channel, saying that Djokovic's withdrawal is worrying, considering the Italian Open is the best place to prepare for the Roland Garros.
The Madrid Open, where Djokovic played, has a high altitude, which makes the ball fly faster. Those conditions are not very similar to those in Paris. However, conditions in Rome are very similar to those at the French Open, which makes it a perfect spot to prepare for the clay-court Slam.
"Has he listed a reason why? That’s troubling, that’s worrying for me as a Novak fan. It’s worrying because that’s the best place to get ready for Roland Garros, the conditions are very similar, it’s back at sea level."
Because of that, Courier feels like missing the Italian Open is not a decision that Djokovic would make if he didn't have a good reason for it, especially so early ahead of the tournament, which starts on May 7th.
"If you’re gonna play one between Madrid and Rome, Rome would be the one you’d want to play to get ready for Roland Garros. So I don’t know what to make of it, but I don’t like the way it feels in the gut. Definitely concerned, it’s a very strange thing to announce to pull out now, well in advance of it. And we’ll see what it all means when we get to Roland Garros."
Another former World No. 1 player, Tracy Austin, who reached the No. 1 rank on the WTA Tour, also seemed to be worried by Djokovic's withdrawal. The two-time US Open champion was also surprised by Djokovic's statements after his loss to Matteo Arnaldi in Madrid.
"He (Djokovic) has lost his last three matches in a row, all in straight sets. He hasn’t won a clay-court match this year, early in Monte Carlo, early here [in Madrid] as well."
"And he just looked a little out of balance, his footwork wasn’t great in his loss the other day against Arnaldi, and he even said, 'My reality right now is trying to win a match or two.' And that’s really tough for a guy who’s won 24 majors to be talking like that."
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