Novak Djokovic won his first title of the 2022 season at the Italian Open and made the statement that he should not be counted out as a contender for the French Open.
Djokovic, still ranked No. 1 despite missing most of the first half of the season due to his unvaccinated status against the coronavirus, defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-0, 7-6 (5) to win in Rome for a sixth time in his 12th final in the eternal city.
“I’ve been building my form the last few weeks,” Djokovic said. “It couldn’t be better timing coming into Roland Garros….Perfect scenario for me.”
Djokovic didn’t drop a set all week and won his 1,000th career match over Casper Ruud in the semifinals. The last title Djokovic won was at the Paris Masters trophy in November. He was unable to defend his Australian Open title due to be deported due to his vaccine status.
“This year it was a particular situation. With everything that happened in Australia, it took some time,” Djokovic said. “I found my best shape here. I’m going to Paris with a lot of confidence.”
Djokovic needed only a half hour to win the opening set. Tsitsipas actually served for the second set at 5-3, but was not able to close.
During the trophy ceremony, Djokovic made a special dedication: “Today at 4 (p.m.) when we started this match, my son Stefan, who is 7 years old, was playing his first tennis match. I hope he won. This is for him.”
