Novak Djokovic Criticizes Roland-Garros Court Conditions Amid Knee Injury
Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1 tennis player, has raised concerns over the condition of the Roland-Garros courts following a knee injury he sustained during his round-of-16 match against Francisco Cerundolo. Despite winning the intense five-set match, Djokovic did not hesitate to express his dissatisfaction with the courts, which he believes were not adequately maintained.
Djokovic argued that the recent weather conditions — alternating between rain and sun — have affected the upper layers of the clay courts, making them extremely slippery. "The weather of the last few days has affected the court, and has affected the upper layers of the clay," Djokovic explained. "I don't know what they did exactly. I think they removed some of the clay. So, there was very little, almost no clay on the surface. And because of the drier, warmer conditions, the terrain has become very slippery. I hurt my knee because of that, because I slipped, I slipped a lot."
Desperate to find a solution, Djokovic repeatedly asked the chair umpire to sweep the court more regularly, but his requests were denied. "I discussed with the chair umpire, saying: Would it be possible to sweep the court, maybe not at every change, but maybe when we change sides, both or thrice? And maybe not wait for the end of a set," he recounted. "She said she would check, she spoke to the supervisor of the people who take care of the grounds. The answer was no."
Struggles with Knee Injury and Match Continuation
The knee injury, which Djokovic claims was not a significant issue prior to the match, began to affect his performance as he slipped on the compromised surface. "I've had slight discomfort in my right knee for about two weeks. But it wasn't really an injury to worry about," Djokovic said. "In the third game of the second set, I slipped. It affected my knee. I started to feel pain."
Despite receiving medical treatment and taking medication to alleviate the pain, Djokovic revealed doubts about continuing the match. "I requested treatment from the physiotherapist, a medical termination. It disrupted my game for two innings, two and a half innings. I didn't want the exchanges to be too long. Every time he made a sudden drop or changed direction, I didn't feel well enough to run. To the point where I wondered if I should continue or not," Djokovic shared.
Djokovic managed to finish the match but expressed concerns for his future games. "I don't know what will happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, if I will be able to go and play on the field," he said, highlighting the challenges players face when dealing with injuries during major tournaments.
- Djokovic also highlighted the unique challenges posed by the weather conditions this year. “The circumstances, and the weather situation this year, are special. There was a lot of rain, humidity, heavy and muddy conditions on the courts. Humidity impacts the surface; it is a living surface. As alive as the grass, but on the grass you can't do much. But you can have an effect on clay by working the ground,” Djokovic explained.
- Despite his grievances, Djokovic acknowledged the efforts of the ground staff and the generally high quality of the Roland-Garros courts. "I'm sure the people who take care of the land have a lot to do; I'm not saying they're doing it badly. I know they are doing their best," he said, emphasizing that his criticisms were aimed at understanding and improving the situation rather than placing blame.
