PARIS: Novak Djokovic can become just the eighth man to complete the career Grand Slam with a maiden French Open victory, but the world number one fears fate may conspire against him in Paris.
Djokovic, who turned 28 on Friday, is the overwhelming favourite to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires and claim his ninth career Grand Slam title.
Victory would take him alongside Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as a winner of all four majors.
It would also take him halfway to a calendar Grand Slam, a challenge so daunting that only Budge (1938) and Laver (1962 and 1969) have managed to pull it off.
Djokovic comes into Paris riding a 22-match winning streak, a season which has already seem him capture a fifth Australian Open as well as Masters titles in Indian Wells, Miami and on clay at Monte Carlo and Rome.
However, the Serb has been in this situation before.
In 2011, he entered the French Open as hot favourite but saw a 43-match winning sequence ended by Federer in the semi-finals.
A year later, Djokovic was defeated by Nadal in a four-set final which was completed on the third Monday because of rain.
In 2013, it was the Spaniard who again came out on top, this time in the semi-finals despite Djokovic having led 4-2 in the fifth set.
Twelve months ago, Nadal claimed his ninth title as Djokovic wilted once more in the championship match.
No surprise then to see Djokovic, whose overall 2015 record reads 35 wins and just two losses, trying to contain the hype ahead of his 11th French Open.
His caution increased after Friday's draw which lined him up to possibly face Nadal in the quarter-finals and third seed Andy Murray in the semi-finals.
"I have had this particular situation before, and especially in the last two years where I was coming into Roland Garros and people speculating, is this the year or not?," said Djokovic who faces Finnish veteran Jarkko Nieminen in the first round.
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