Djokovic’s trip Down Under ended in disappointment after an injury derailed his Australian Open run. The 10-time champion needed an off-court medical timeout while facing Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-final but dug deep to beat the Spaniard.
He failed to recover in time for his next match and, after losing an 83-set to Alexander Zverev in the semis, Djokovic forfeitted the match.
The Serb later shared an MRI scan showing the extent of his injury. But, less than three weeks later, Djokovic is now “almost 100 per cent” and is planning to compete in next week’s Qatar Open.
“There is no more rupture in the muscle, the injury is almost 100 per cent repaired and I am ready to go to new work victories,” he told Vijesti.
“I have the green light from the medical team that I can train, that I can prepare. The tournament in Doha is scheduled for seven days now so I’m sticking to the schedule. Thank god, I was able to recover quickly.”
Djokovic will turn 38 this year and he’s well aware that he will face more physical struggles as he gets older. But the world No. 7 still believes his body can recover well.
He added: “I’ve had a bit more injuries lately than I did in the first 15 years of my career. This probably comes with age, but my body still listens to me, I still have a burning flame and a desire to achieve, and achieve new things.”
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