Novak Djokovic indicates to a mysterious illness after his defeat at the Serbia Open final
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Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic was unable to cope with the prolonged pressure from Andrey Rublev after winning three matches in the lead-up to the final in Belgarde after dropping the first set. Djokovic won the second set in a tiebreaker after losing the first set because of the adrenaline boost. In the third set, though, the Serb ran out of steam, and Rublev bageled him to claim his third title of the 2022 season. Following his poor performance in the deciding set, the Serb issued an update on his health.
“It was quite tough physically for me”- Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic termed his lull on the court in front of his home crowd as a “bad feeling” when speaking to the media after his loss against Rublev. After Dubai and Monte Carlo, Belgrade was only his third tournament of the season. He had to come back from a set down to win his three prior matches at the competition. “I didn’t like the feeling towards the end of the second set and basically throughout the third set was similar to what I was experiencing in Monte Carlo. Whether or not it is due to that illness I had or something like that, I don’t know, probably,” said Djokovic.
“At least this bad feeling came in the fourth match rather than the first. Things are progressing slowly but surely. Paris is the big goal and hopefully by Paris I will be fit and ready to play best-of-five (matches),” he added.
The nature of the sickness that the 34-year-old was afflicted with remains unknown. Despite his coach Goran Ivanisevic’s confirmation to UbiTennis that the tennis player was ailing before to the start of the Monte Carlo Open. “I don’t think it really happened like this anywhere in my career. That’s why I think it is related to the illness that I was going through. It was quite tough physically for me. I guess the recovery time is taking a bit longer than I expected. I didn’t feel too tired until the end of the second (set),” he explained.
Lastly, the Serb concluded by saying, “(Then) I came out after a medical timeout and change of clothes to fight for another set. It was not a pleasant thing for people to see on the court and I am very sorry for that but I didn’t want to retire from the match.”
What’s next for Novak Djokovic?
Despite losing the Serbian Open final to Rublev, the World No. 8, Novak Djokovic is looking for the silver lining. He considers it an encouraging omen since he won three consecutive matches after dropping the first set. Will Djokovic be able to regroup and reclaim his mojo in the forthcoming tournaments in Madrid and Rome before the French Open? Only time will tell.
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Pritha Ghosh
(414 Articles Published)