Stan Wawrinka has asserted that Novak Djokovic is still the favourite to win the 2024 French Open despite his difficult season so far. 

The three-time Grand Slam champion highlighted how Djokovic tends to “push his level” and find a way to play his best tennis at the Grand Slams.

Djokovic is yet to reach a final in 2024 and has a 12-5 record from the five events he has played, including the United Cup team competition.

The world No 1 was a semi-finalist at both the Australian Open and the Monte Carlo Masters, while he suffered surprising third round exits in Indian Wells and Rome.

At the Italian Open last week, he produced a lacklustre display as he fell to a 6-2, 6-3 loss to Alejandro Tabilo in just an hour and seven minutes.

Djokovic lost only seven matches in an outstanding 2023 campaign – during which he claimed seven titles, including three Majors.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion will next feature at the French Open, where he is the defending champion after triumphing at Roland Garros for the third time last year.

Wawrinka, who produced arguably the finest display of his career to beat Djokovic in the 2015 French Open final, backed his former rival ahead of the Paris Grand Slam.

“I think it’s still like, of course he didn’t have the results he wanted the last few weeks but we know how he can push his level and the way he always finds a way to play the best tennis in Grand Slams, especially in five sets also,” the Swiss told.

“Of course I still put him as the favourite at the French Open.”

Wawrinka, a former world No 3, holds a 6-21 record against Djokovic, with four of his victories coming at Grand Slam tournaments.

Former world No 1 Andy Roddick recently expressed his concern about Djokovic’s struggles in 2024 after his loss to Tabilo.

“I’m more concerned about his tennis game than I’ve been in probably like, 15 years,” said the former US Open winner on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast.

“Knowing that, maybe he just needs a bunch of us saying that, you know, the kind of ‘me against the world’ mentality that he’s mastered over the course of his career. But how long can we say, ‘He’ll turn it around’? I’ve been saying that the entire year.

“This one was weird, I thought he’d ramp up. You’re looking at the French Open, at Wimbledon, he said he’s prioritised the Olympics, you felt like the ramp-up was coming. That wasn’t a ramp-up.”