Novak Djokovic Shows Signs of Worry in His Round 1 Victory at French Open 2020

As the 2020 French Open got underway, it was time for the tournament’s #1 seed to grace the court in the men’s singles. Novak Djokovic had no trouble seeing off Sweden’s Mikael Ymer in the first round, but there were slight hints of an injury concern that arose due to the Serb’s activities during the game. 

Djokovic cruised to a 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 victory, dropping just five games to assert his dominance. He’s stepped into Roland Garros with hopes of claiming a second career crown. A 16th consecutive first-round victory is just the start the 33YO would have hoped for. 

While Rafa dropped ten games in his first-round fixture, Djokovic halved it to strike fear among his opponents. It is the perfect start in Paris for Djokovic, who is now 32-1 in 2020. While his only loss came due to a default, it really seems like Djokovic can only be beaten by himself! 

Injury concern pops up for Novak Djokovic in his first-round victory

This year has really taken a toll on everyone. For Novak Djokovic, it has been bittersweet. He’s won four out of the five tournaments he’s competed in. But the US Open debacle stands as a stain in his career. 

Moreover, we saw Djokovic struggling with his neck just before the start of the 2020 US Open. At the Western & Southern Open, the Djoker had to pull out from the doubles event due to the same.

While his neck injury seemingly wore off at the US Open, Djokovic is now troubled by his arm. The 33-year-old was spotted stretching his arm quite a lot against Ymer. It seemed strange as he more than often touched and inspected his dominant hand which caught the attention of the camera. 

The extreme cold conditions and the new and heavier balls are certainly a factor that can contribute to this. A few players including Djokovic have voiced out against the new Wilson balls, which is evidently slower on the surface but gets heavier with more usage. After the game, the Djoker commented on the injury concern and said: 

“Everything is all right. Balls are heavy, so I “felt” my forearm a bit, but nothing serious, I haven’t had any problems. It was a bit tight, but it wasn’t pain, nothing alarming.”

However, this did not stop Djokovic from eliminating his opponent in straight sets. With this victory, he moves into the second round in Paris and will face Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania.