Novak Djokovic's Olympic prep includes clay-court practice and a boating break

One of the only things that Novak Djokovic has yet to achieve in his career is winning an Olympic gold medal, and if the former world No. 1 is feeling any pressure, internally or externally, in the pursuit of that goal, he's not showing it in the week leading up to what is his fifth, and likely his final, appearance Games.

Expected to be seeded No. 2 behind Jannik Sinner at the tennis event, the 24-time Grand Slam singles has been diligently chronicling his preparations on social media, from his clay-court practice to a cheeky break on a boat, where he traded his racquets for oars.

"To get in the zone for Olympics, thought I’d try one of the other events," he quipped in a post on Monday, looking suave in swim trunks under the sun. (His home nation also boasts an Olympic medal in canoeing: silver in 2016.)

Read more: Tennis guide: Who is playing the 2024 Paris Olympics at Roland Garros?

Djokovic will play his fifth Olympics in Paris, with a long-sought after spot on top of the podium chief among his priorities. Djokovic won bronze in his first Olympics in 2008 in Beijing, but missed out on a medal in each of his next three appearances, including two heartbreaking losses in subsequent bronze-medal matches in 2012 and 2021.

Djokovic also wasn't smiling when he left Roland Garros last month, and is hoping for a better outcome when he returns to the venue for the quadrennial competition. A torn meniscus forced Djokovic out of the year's second Grand Slam, as he won two marathon five-setters in the third and fourth rounds before giving Casper Ruud a walkover in the quarterfinals.

Four weeks after surgery to repair the problem in his right knee, Djokovic reached the final of Wimbledon, but it was evident that the Games were on his mind after his 6-2 6-2 7-6(4) loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the title match.

"I still have intentions to play Olympic Games [and] hopefully have a chance to fight for a medal for my country," Djokovic told reporters after his loss on Centre Court. "[The Olympics are] on a completely different surface obviously [and I'm] going back to the place where I got injured some weeks ago."

He signed off on a pensive note. "Let's see," he said at the time.

The first thing that fans will be looking to see from Djokovic in Paris? Who lands in his half of the draw. Will third-seeded Alcaraz be a potential semifinal foe? Or will it be defending gold medalist Alexander Zverev, the No. 4 seed who beat him in Tokyo?

The tennis event begins in Paris on Saturday, with the draw to be revealed on Thursday.