Tennis-Headaches aplenty for Djokovic before French Open title defence

FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 12, 2024 Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action during his round of 32 match against Chile's Alejandro Tabilo REUTERS/Claudia Greco/File Photo

(Reuters) - Novak Djokovic will hope to shake off a freak head injury and get his bumpy season back on track at the French Open, where the out-of-form Serb faces a daunting task to defend his title and retain his world number one ranking.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion captured his third Roland Garros title in the absence of the injured Rafa Nadal en route to winning three of the four majors in a spectacular 2023 but has struggled to replicate that dominance this season.