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Djokovic's return to action at the Italian Open, after missing the Miami Open and the Madrid Open with a shoulder issue, was a brief one.

He went down 2-6 6-2 6-4 to Dino Prizmic in the second round, losing to a qualifier at a clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time.

Djokovic now has limited time to prepare for the French Open, which begins on 24 May, with the men's singles final taking place on 8 June (AEST).

With two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz absent with injury, some onlookers had wondered whether Roland-Garros would offer Djokovic's best chance to finally surpass Margaret Court's haul of 24 grand slam singles titles outright.

But the Serbian, who will turn 39 before the tournament begins, does not have high hopes.

Asked if he would be ready to compete in Paris, Djokovic said: "I don't know. I hope so.

"The situation is what it is. You make the most out of it. I train hard. I train as much as my body allows me to. Then how it turns out on the court, that's really unpredictable.

"I want to congratulate Dino. I came in to have a match or more.

"Unfortunately, it was only a match, but it's alright. I'm pleased at least that I fought until the end.

"Obviously, I see what I'm missing. I'm late by half a step. I'm definitely not where I want to be for the highest level, to compete at the highest level and to be able to get far."

Djokovic also confirmed he will not play another event before the French Open, passing on the chance to defend the Geneva Open title he won last year.

Djokovic won the 100th ATP Tour title of his career in Switzerland in 2025, and November's triumph at the Hellenic Championship in Athens is his only tournament win since then.