(In pictures) Novak Djokovic suffers major injury concern, yet opts to fight it out in Miami encounter against Camilo Ugo Carabelli

Ahead of his Round of 16 match, Novak Djokovic experienced some shoulder pain during training and also played tennis with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

(In pictures) Novak Djokovic suffers major injury concern, yet opts to fight it out in Miami encounter against Camilo Ugo Carabelli

Novak Djokovic (image via X @NovakAnalysis)

Novak Djokovic trained this Saturday ahead of his Round of 16 match at the 2025 Miami Open, but still went on to take on Camilo Ugo Carabelli. However for the Serbian, the training did not go as planned, as he was reported to have experienced pain in his right shoulder. The training session was cut short and lasted only an hour.

Earlier this year, Djokovic endured a painful hamstring injury at the Australian Open. This caused him to withdraw from his semifinal match against second seed Alexander Zverev, ending his run for a record 25th Grand Slam title. 

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The 37-year-old took a break for a few weeks to recover and returned to tour at the Qatar Open, where he faced an early exit, losing to Matteo Berrettini in straight sets. Djokovic then faced another opening round exit at Indian Wells, this time losing to Botic van de Zandschulp. 

After a three-match losing streak, Djokovic turned the tables at the Miami Open, a tournament he returned to after 6 years. Djokovic won his opening round match in Miami against Rinky Hijikata in straight sets, even bageling his opponent in the first set. 

Novak Djokovic unlocks a new achievement at Miami Open

With his victory over Rinky Hijikata in the opening round, Novak Djokovic reached a new milestone by earning his 410th career ATP 1000 Masters win. He’s now tied with Rafael Nadal for the ATP player with the most Masters 1000 wins. 

Djokovic also holds the most Masters 1000 titles (40), Masters 1000 finals (59), and semifinals (78). Djokovic will now be aiming to topple the record he shares with the Spaniard, with his match against Camilo Ugo Carabelli. Carabelli advanced to the Round of 16 after defeating 32nd seed Alex Michelsen and Brandon Holt in the prior rounds of the tournament. 

Novak Djokovic (4)
Novak Djokovic (Image via Novak Djokovic’s X account)

This will mark the first meeting on court between the Serbian and the Argentine. The winner of this match will face either Lorenzo Musetti or Felix Auger-Aliassime in the next round. Djokovic has faced the Canadian twice on the court, with both having secured one win against each other. Against Musetti, Djokovic has a better advantage. He has defeated the Italian seven times in their eight meetings on tour.

Novak Djokovic plays tennis with Robert F. Kennedy Jr in Miami

Ahead of his Round of 16 match, Djokovic was also spotted playing tennis with US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. RFK Jr., who is also the nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, has earlier lauded the Serbian on his stance on vaccination too. 

With all the semi-finalists of Indian Wells—Jack Draper, Holger Rune, Carlos Alcaraz, and Daniil Medvedev—losing in the opening round at Miami, and the absence of World No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner, Djokovic stands a good chance to claim his 100th career title with this tournament provided his shoulder pain doesn’t impact his game negatively. 

Novak Djokovic (5)
Novak Djokovic (Image via X/CGTN Sports Scene)

Apart from the Olympic gold, Djokovic had a title-less run last year. In terms of number of career titles, Djokovic is only surpassed by Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer, who have 109 and 103 titles, respectively.

Djokovic shares a record of 6 titles in the Miami Open along with Andre Agassi. Djokovic’s last title in Miami came in 2016, where he also secured a three-peat in the Sunshine Double.