• Novak Djokovic aims for his 25th Grand Slam title at the French Open.
• The tennis star is struggling with form after an early exit at the Madrid Open.
• Djokovic recently split with coach Andy Murray, raising concerns over his preparation.
• Despite challenges, Djokovic still believes he can compete for top honors.
• World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are the favorites for the tournament.

Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, is facing significant hurdles as he prepares for the French Open, where he seeks to secure his 25th title. At 38 years old, Djokovic's form has declined, especially following his injury withdrawal from the Australian Open earlier this year. Since then, he has managed to reach only one final without securing any titles, intensifying the challenges he faces going into the tournament, according to channelnewsasia, scmp, and reuters.

After disappointing performances in Monte Carlo and Madrid, Djokovic described his current situation as a "new reality," acknowledging that he is focused more on simply winning matches than on going deep into tournaments. Following his exit in Madrid, where he lost to Matteo Arnaldi, he opted out of the Italian Open and has instead accepted a wild card for the Geneva Open. This move is seen as a critical last-ditch effort to regain match fitness before heading to Paris, according to channelnewsasia and reuters.

Moreover, the announcement of Djokovic's split with coach Andy Murray, with whom he collaborated for only a few months, adds to the uncertainty surrounding his performance. Their coaching partnership, which yielded no titles and ended after just a single final at the Miami Open, reflects the mounting pressure on the Serbian champion as he approaches a major tournament without a stable support system, as reported by scmp and reuters.

Currently ranked world number six, Djokovic faces formidable competitors in the French Open, with the likes of world number one Jannik Sinner and the reigning titleholder Carlos Alcaraz being labeled favorites. However, Djokovic maintains that he still possesses the skill to contend for significant titles. “I know what it takes to be a grand slam champion,” he asserted, though he conceded that the challenge is much greater compared to a decade ago, as emphasized by scmp and reuters.