Preparations for the 2023 Australian Open continue, and most of the big names on the circuit have already arrived in Melbourne to prepare for the first major tournament of 2023. The most anticipated man is undoubtedly him, the Serbian champion Novak Djokovic, ready to take revenge after what happened last year.
However, in the last few hours there has been a strong wake-up call on the Serbian champion and now there is great concern. The Serbian tennis player played a training match against the Russian champion and his friend, Daniil Medvedev.
A 75-minute session that served as preparation for the tournament, but which cast new and dangerous shadows over the tennis player’s future. Djokovic withdrew halfway through the training session (after 36 minutes), alarming fans and those in the know.
The Spanish Pablo Andújar, reserve player, continued training with Medvedev. A situation that, however, a few days before the Melbourne tournament, worries everyone a bit. The practice set between Djokovic and Medvedev had seen the Russian win the set 6-4 but Nole showed significant signs of ailment.
An important sign for Friday’s performance against Nick Kyrgios (tickets sold out in less than an hour and highly anticipated by the public) and, above all, for the American tournament. It is not the first disappointment for Nole at this start of the season.
The Serbian tennis player won the Adelaide 1 tournament last week and, although he showed that he is the strongest on this surface, he suffered physical problems during the semifinal of the tournament, again against Medvedev.
Djokovic received a medical exemption last year
Novak Djokovic himself understands why the people of Australia were against him entering the country. “I have to say yes because I understand that it was a frustrating period for a lot of people around the world, particularly here in Australia for two years [and which had] some really strict measures in place,” Djokovic said in a recent interview with Channel Nine.
“So I understand that when media writes in a certain way about a guy who tried to go in without a vaccine that people would [say] ‘what, wait a second, why is he allowed to come in when many people aren’t able or allowed to come from wherever they are around the world to their own country,” Djokovic said.
“So I understood why they were frustrated but again I have to say that the media presented it in a completely wrong way.”
