“I’ve been struggling a bit,” Novak Djokovic cancels his practice session fueling speculations about his fitness before the Australian Open
Serbian star's absence from practice session brings the injury concern to the fore once again.
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Novak Djokovic
The Australian Open in 2023 is now only one night away. Top names in the event are leaving no stone unturned in their preparation for a glorious time Down Under. Serbian star Novak Djokovic is giving the final touches to his preparation before going into the first round on Tuesday.
But one challenge that confronts Djokovic is the hamstring injury that he suffered during the Adelaide International tournament. The Serb has assured his fans that it is not a big concern and he will be fit before his first game. Still, the cancellation of the training season on Sunday fueled speculation about the fitness of the 21-time Grand Slam champion once again.
Djokovic on his part clarified that it was just a cautious action. “Obviously, I’m being a bit more cautious. I’m not going full out on the training sessions, conserving the energy for next week. Hopefully, it won’t cause an issue for me then,” he noted.
“I’ve been struggling with that a bit, to be honest, the last seven days. But it’s hopefully not the major concern. So far I’ve been able to train, compete and play points, and practice sets. So that’s a positive sign,” Continuing his train of thoughts, Djokovic further added.
Partially fit Novak Djokovic can derail the grand plans for the 22nd Grand Slam title
In the semifinals of the Adelaide International, the Serb seemed a bit uncomfortable against Russian Daniil Medvedev. But in a couple of subsequent conversations, Djokovic played down the injury concerns. The title win in Adelaide confirmed this, giving his fans a reason to cheer and leave the injury scare behind.
“So far I’ve been able to train, compete and play points, and practice sets. So that’s a positive sign,” Djokovic said earlier. At the precursor to the Australian Open, the 35-year-old also played an exhibition match against his ‘best friend’ Nick Kyrgios and seemed in total control. But moving on to his draw even a minor concern can cloud Djokovic’s prospects.
However, as the Australian Open will get more competitive than the exhibition event, Djokovic’s fitness will really be put to the test. Being partially fit can derail his plans to go past his Spanish rival Rafael Nadal in the total Grand Slam tally, having already missed a chance in Melbourne last year. As Djokovic plays his first match in a couple of nights, he will be hoping to do everything in his capacity to win the 10th title Down Under.
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