Novak Djokovic has revealed his “priority” this season is to peak for the Paris Olympics, as he chases a much-desired gold medal for likely the final time in his career.
Victory at the Olympic Games is one of the few achievements missing from Djokovic’s glittering CV.
His best result was at Beijing 2008 when he won bronze, and since then he has lost in two third-place matches and was beaten in the first round in Rio in 2016.
At the age of 36, this summer’s Olympics will probably be Djokovic’s last chance to win gold.
“But in the last three or four Olympics, it’s not been possible for me to reach the later stages.
“The situation is a bit different now. We are playing our first Olympics on clay. I want to be ready physically and mentally.”
The Olympic tennis event will be played on clay at Roland-Garros, which is also the venue for the French Open.
Djokovic is a three-time winner of the French Open and he is bidding to claim a 25th Grand Slam title this year to move him into the all-time lead ahead of Margaret Court.
“It’s all about building my game for clay courts,” said Djokovic.
“I want to reach my peak for Paris – that’s where I want to play my best tennis. Anything else is a bonus, so let’s see what happens.”
Former coach Goran Ivanisevic has said he hopes Djokovic manages to achieve his goal this summer.
“It’s something that he wants, he feels like he owes it to someone, although he doesn’t owe anyone anything… I wish for him to succeed in the Olympics.”
Djokovic’s immediate focus will be returning to his best form in Monte Carlo.
His last match saw him beaten by lucky loser Luca Nardi in the third round of Indian Wells and it is just the second time in six years that he arrives in Monte Carlo having not won at least one title for the season.
“My expectations are not very high, with the way I have been playing this year at the tournaments and also the results that I had in Monaco in previous years were not great, so I keep my expectations low,” he said.
“For me, it is about building my game on clay courts and trying to reach the peak again.
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“For some players like myself, it requires a little more time to reach the top level of tennis. Earlier in my career I was doing better in Monte Carlo. I won titles in 2013 and 2015, quite a long time ago. The last five or six editions here have not been that successful and I am always hoping that could change.
“I am going into the tournament with enthusiasm and excitement that I am here. I didn’t play in Miami, so had extra time to practise on clay and get my body and game adjusted to this surface so let’s see how it goes.”