Five great Novak Djokovic wins on clay courts as he targets French Open glory

Novak Djokovic’s return to the ATP did not go according to play on Tuesday, as he lost to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the Monte Carlo Masters.

In just his second tournament of 2022, Djokovic looked out of sorts as he lost the final set in convincing fashion, but he quickly turned his attentions to the bigger picture and his challenge to retain the French Open title in Paris next month.

Here, Jack Ingleby looks back on Djokovic’s more glorious moments on clay, with the world No 1’s army of fans around the world hoping this list will have new additions by the time the clay court season comes to an end.

The two current best players on the planet faced off with the winner playing Rafael Nadal in the final. Both players would prefer to play on grass or hard court which made the tie even more interesting for the fans. It was Djokovic who came out on top in what was a stunning performance from the Serb.

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He won 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 to reach his first French Open Final and while he was unable to get his hands on the title in 2012, this was a year when he announced himself as a real threat on clay courts.

After beating Djokovic in the French Open final the year before, Rafael Nadal seemed unstoppable on clay. The Spaniard had 46 consecutive victories with eight straight finals at Monte Carlo – the longest-ever winning streak at the event and the longest winning run in a singles