Novak Djokovic training with Grand Slam champion in preparation for Roland Garros

Novak Djokovic will be aiming to win his 25th Grand Slam title when he competes in the French Open at Roland Garros; however, he will know he is not the favourite for the competition with this honour going to Jannik Sinner.

The 24-year-old is in fine form, as he collected the Italian Open last weekend, meaning he has now won the last six ATP Masters 1000 events, with five of those coming in 2026.

While people may be feeling that it will strike fear into his rivals, Djokovic will not be feeling this way, as he will be inspired to defy the odds by winning the competition.

Now, the Serb comes into the French Open as the third seed behind Sinner and Alexander Zverev, that is, following the decision by Carlos Alcaraz to withdraw from the competition due to a wrist injury.

Despite Djokovic’s drive to secure victory at Roland Garros, there may be a concern from him that he has only had one competitive match on a clay court.

Alexander Zverev of Germany and Novak Djokovic of Serbia embrace as they meet on court for a practice session together on Court Philippe Chatrier (Getty Images)

This came in the Italian Open when he suffered a surprise defeat to Dino Prizmic in the round of 64, with serious questions arising around the fitness of the Serb.

To ensure that he is fit enough and match-sharp for Roland Garros, he has had some warm-up games, including against a rival for the competition in Zverev and a former Grand Slam winner.

Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open winner, played for an hour on Court Simone Mathieu in front of a packed-out audience as supporters attempted to get a glimpse of two former Grand Slam champions.

The pair have been rivals for a long period on the ATP Tour, with their first clash coming in 2008 when they faced off in the Dubai Tennis Championships with Djokovic emerging victorious.

Marin Cilic of Croatia celebrates winning a point against Zizou Bergs of Belgium during the Men’s Singles First Round match at Arantxa Sanchez Stadium (Getty Images)

While it has been a rivalry that has endured over the years, it has been a bit of a one-sided battle, as the Serb has won 20 of the 22 competitive matches between the pair and, in the process, knocked the Croatian out of five Grand Slams.

Their last meeting came in 2015, when Djokovic defeated Cilic at the Shanghai Masters.

Cilic is currently ranked World No. 46 on the ATP Tour rankings, so he may have been viewed as the perfect opponent by Djokovic to regain his sharpness ahead of the French Open, while giving him the much-needed confidence boost following his shock defeat in the Italian Open.