PARIS — Respecting the schedule that Novak Djokovic laid out in January, it is now time for dessert.

So will he finally get to taste some at the French Open?

Many a great tennis champion has skidded to a halt at Roland Garros. Those who have tried, tried some more and ultimately failed to win the world’s premier clay-court event include Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, Bill Tilden, John McEnroe, Pancho Gonzales, John Newcombe, Stefan Edberg and Djokovic’s coach, Boris Becker.

“I lost to guys who were better than me on clay; there is no mystery,” Becker said in an interview last week.

Becker, at his best on faster surfaces, reached three French Open semifinals but never won any tour-level tournament on clay. Djokovic is in a different class as one of the most successful clay-court players in history.