During the Adelaide 1 semi-final match against Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic experienced hamstring discomfort that caused him to limp for parts of the match. However, the Serbian continued in the tournament and reached the final trophy.
Arriving in Melbourne, in training, again against the Russian Slam champion, he stopped due to the same discomfort. The former number one assured everyone that the stop was only a precaution; a concept that he also reiterated in his press conference.
“I’ve struggled a bit, honestly, in the last seven days. Fortunately, it’s not too worrying. So far I’ve been able to train, compete and play to points, sets… That’s good. Of course, I’m a little more prudent . I’m not giving up on training, I’m conserving my energy for next week.
I hope it doesn’t cause me any problems,” said the 21-time Slam champion. For Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open will be his second tournament of the season, after the Adelaide 1 Atp 250. Also at the press conference, the Belgrade tennis player spoke about his calendar: how he and his team organize it based on a clear objective: “The ideal is to reach the highest level in big tournaments.
This is how I try to plan my season. We try to figure out where we want to finish on the top and where we want to lift the trophy. I always give my best in each tournament, regardless of the category, but I understand that, for example, on clay it takes longer to reach the desired level.
At this point in my career I try to stay mentally healthy and fresh on the court. It’s important to have a good balance between setting goals and trying to achieve them as a professional, but on the other hand I play tennis because I enjoy it.
It gives me wonderful emotions. Sometimes not. It’s a great way to learn more about myself. I try to enjoy every moment.”
Tsitsipas reflects on Djokovic
Stefanos Tsitsipas has no qualms admitting that nine-time champion Novak Djokovic remains the player to beat at Melbourne Park.
“I think it’s good for his fans that he’s back, he’s able to play this year at the Australian Open. He’s one of the strongest players on the field. He’s still got it. He can still play. He can still go deep in the tournament,” he said.
“He played well, very well, in Adelaide. He had some good matches there. It’s up to us to do something about it and to stop him,” he added.
