Novak Djokovic suffered a hellish draw in Geneva, missing out on 100 titles and dragging down the French Open?

After making his debut in Monte Carlo and Madrid and withdrawing from the Rome Masters, Djokovic will play at the ATP 250 in Geneva next week.

Withdrawing from Rome and opting for Geneva, which is close to the French Open, is undoubtedly a puzzling decision for many fans. Although the Serbian magnate did so last year, his fitness in Geneva last year and the subsequent meniscus injury at the French Open nearly ruined Djokovic's career. Especially this year, with the announcement of the end of his partnership with Murray during the Rome Masters, playing at such an event during the team adjustment period seemed more like training.

Turning to the Geneva tennis tournament itself, although this tournament is only a small tournament in the 250 level, there are still famous players such as Fritz, Makhac and Khachanov in the tournament list, and Djokovic is the top four seed in this tournament, which is quite a lineup for a 250 tournament.

And just yesterday, the men's singles draw for the 2025 Geneva Open was announced, and Djokovic was unexpectedly drawn to draw the next draw, among which the potential opponents for promotion are as follows:

Second round: Forsowitz

Djokovic, who received a first-round bye, is likely to face Hungary's Fosovicz in the second round, who is currently ranked around 50th in the world and is a typical player with far better results on clay. It is worth mentioning that the last time the two met on clay in 2024 was a hard-fought three-set battle, for Djokovic, this match could be similar to his Madrid debut, the opponents are young, physical and aggressive forehands, so Djokovic must be well prepared and not underestimate his opponents.

1/4 finals: Marosanne/Arnaldi

Djokovic could have even more difficulty if he progresses to the quarter-finals of the tournament, and it is likely that he will be met by Italian rising star Nicolas Analdi, who has just beaten him in Madrid, and it is clear that this game will not be easy to play. However, Marosanne could also be a spoiler, after all, the latter is also a typical clay specialist, with a very characteristic counter-attacking style of play, which has also caused many famous players to suffer. It's clear that both players are very good at clay, which means Djokovic could be in a tough fight. Therefore, it is clear that he needs to be in better shape to avoid getting caught up in a long tug-of-war of physical exhaustion.

Semi-finals: Mahachi/Jari/Poplin

In the semi-finals, Djokovic has plenty of potential opponents, but there is no doubt that the Czech Republic's Mahać will be in the spotlight. The 'dark horse' who knocked out Novak Djokovic in the 2024 semi-finals in Geneva should not be underestimated on clay, but the Czech star has suffered frequent injuries this season and his form has fluctuated greatly, and it is difficult to say whether he will be able to reach this round. In addition to Mahachi, Chilean star Jarry could also be a semi-final opponent for Djokovic, who has the typical clay genes of a South American player, has a tenacious temperament and is adept at using the width of the court to move opponents. As for Australia's Poplin, who won the Masters last year, he is a fast-rising all-rounder, however, the same problem is that the former's performance this season has also been very up and down, and it is doubtful whether he can make it to this round.

Djokovic's 2025 season so far has been a mixed bag, with three straight defeats on tour despite reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open and the final of the Miami Masters at the beginning of the year. Technically, the 38-year-old Djokovic's ability to move and cover has declined, and while he has tried to partially compensate for this by optimising his serve and technique at the net, it is clear that worsening fitness issues have left him struggling on the court. After moving to Geneva and winning the draw, Djokovic's test was huge, which may represent his expectations for the French Open. However, Djokovic's 2025 season has also repeatedly emphasized the "enjoy tennis" mentality, which may be both a sign of relaxation and a subtle change in his current desire to win the title.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Lu Xiaotian)