5 things Novak Djokovic must do to regain his mojo

#4 Roland Garros title defence

Today, almost a year after his historical victory, Novak is at crossroads again

It's difficult to understand the relationship between Djokovic and this tournament. Was it the mountain to climb – or the pebble in his shoe?

Their tale cannot be told in an intone narration – it is a complex diorama of high octane emotions and even higher levels of tennis.

Today, Roland Garros for Djokovic is nothing but the sun that he chased for years together and when he finally got it, he was burned by its light. He had come excruciatingly close numerous times – his unbelievably tight matches against Nadal and his loss in the 2015 final to Wawrinka kept adding to that void in his RG trophy cabinet.

Novak’s hard earned Career Grand Slam and the slump that followed it tell us why the ultimate success doesn’t (and shouldn’t) come easily to anyone. Achieving it after years of longing and hard work rattles you, and makes you feel purposeless and lost amidst a swirl of emotions.

That is exactly what happened to Djokovic after his victory in Paris last year.

He held all the four Slams at the same time – it was an indelible achievement, especially after the heartbreaks, disappointments and ‘oh-poor-Nole’ moments that he had to endure for his French Open title.

But today, almost a year after his historic victory, Djokovic is at a crossroads again. Once again he needs to win the Roland Garros to prove himself, just that it is for different reasons this time around. If he manages to defend his trophy in Paris with a strong Nadal and a dominant Murray lurking in the midst, it would bring him right to the party once again.

The circle would be complete. The 29-year-old will have come back to his trial zone after a year of relative failure, to find success by reigning over a kingdom that was never supposed to be his in the first place!