Novak Djokovic admits that his push towards a record-setting 23rd Grand Slam title is at the mercy of a "long list" of injuries at the French Open with "pills and angels" amongst the cures.

Novak Djokovic defiantly insisted on Wednesday "it's something I stand for" regarding the controversy over his explosive comments about Kosovo earlier this week at the French Open.

"Kosovo is our cradle, our stronghold, centre of the most important things for our country... There are many reasons why I wrote that on the camera," 36-year-old Djokovic told Serb media at the tournament

Novak Djokovic started his bid for a men's record 23rd Grand Slam singles title with a straight-sets victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic in the French Open first round on Monday.

Djokovic shares the all-time men's record of 22 Grand Slam titles with Nadal but can break that tie by winning the French Open for a third time

Djokovic is chasing a record 23rd men's Grand Slam title in the absence of the injured Rafael Nadal, who will miss the tournament at Roland Garros for the first time since his 2005 title-winning debut

Novak Djokovic will be free to play in this year's US Open after the United States government confirmed it is lifting its Covid-19 vaccine mandate on international travelers.

Both men are vying for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, with the tournament beginning on May 28

Djokovic had dropped just four games against the 70th-ranked Lajovic across two previous meetings but was punished for failing to convert three set points in the second-set tie-break

Djokovic, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, was unable to play at Indian Wells and Miami last month as he failed to obtain a waiver to enter the United States

The Serb is back on court after failing to get a waiver to enter the United States for last month's Indian Wells tournament and Miami Open due to his anti-Covid vaccination stance

Novak Djokovic returned to number one spot in ATP rankings published Monday despite missing US tournaments last month because of his lack of a Covid vaccination.

The Serbian, who is one of the most high-profile athletes unvaccinated against the virus, applied to the U.S. government last month for special permission to play at ATP Masters events at Indian Wells and Miami

Novak Djokovic suffered his first loss of the season in Friday's semi-final defeat to Daniil Medvedev at the Dubai Tennis Championships but he was pleased with his fitness levels during the tournament, having returned from a hamstring injury.

Djokovic spoke about his ambitions for the Olympic Games next year.

"My plans after Dubai depend on the U.S. I'm waiting for a reply, it's not on me... I will know soon," world number one Djokovic told reporters after practice in Belgrade

The 35-year-old Serbian remains top of the latest ATP rankings released on Monday bringing him level with the amount of weeks that Graf spent as women's world number one.

The Australian Open set a Grand Slam attendance record with more than 900,000 spectators visiting over three weeks, organisers said on Tuesday, despite the absence of some big-name players and schedule disruptions due to rain.

Novak Djokovic reclaimed top spot in the ATP rankings released on Monday after winning his 22nd Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

New Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic said on Monday he hopes to return to action in a month's time but is "not sure" how quickly his injured hamstring will heal.