Novak Djokovic has clarified that he has used the off-season to ‘rebuild’ his body and that his preparation for the Australian Open has been going ‘very well’ despite a physical ‘setback.’
The world No 4 is seeking to make more history in Melbourne by becoming the first person – male or female – to win 25 Grand Slam singles titles.
Djokovic was meant to have competed at the ATP 250 in Adelaide prior to the Australian Open action, but was forced to withdraw due to not being ‘quite physically ready’ for the event.
“To all my fans in Adelaide. Unfortunately I’m not quite physically ready to compete in the Adelaide International next week,” he stated on Instagram, announcing the decision.
“It’s personally very disappointing to me as I have such great memories of winning the title there [three] years ago. I was really excited about returning as it truly felt like playing at home.
“My focus is now on my preparation for the Australian Open and I look forward to arriving in Melbourne soon and seeing all the tennis fans in Australia.”
Physical issues have become more frequent over the last 18 months for the Serb, something which he was renowned for avoiding.
He underwent knee surgery in the summer of 2024, before retiring from his semi-final against Alexander Zverev at the latest edition of Australian Open.
At Wimbledon, the former world No 1 suffered a nasty slip during his last-eight match against Flavio Cobolli, impeding his ability to perform at his best in the subsequent round.
On that occasion, Djokovic argued that the discomfort was also impacted by overall ‘wear and tear’, rather than a freak accident.
However, he was able to reassure fans that the issue preventing him from playing Adelaide was just a ‘little setback’, but that his recovery has been ‘going very well.’
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“I ended up the season in the first week of November, so it’s been a while since I played any competition, any official tournament,” Djokovic later commented during the press conference.
“You know, I took some time off, and obviously took more time to rebuild my body, because I understand that in the last couple of years, that’s what changed the most for me is it takes more time to rebuild, and it also takes more time to reset or recover.
“So, unfortunately, I had a little setback that prevented me to compete at Adelaide tournament. That’s why I didn’t go there physically, but it’s been going on very well so far here.
“Obviously every day there is something here and there for me and I guess for each one of us, but generally I feel good and look forward to competing.”
Djokovic will get his Australian Open campaign underway against Spaniard Pedro Martinez, with the pair having never met on the professional tour.
The Serb’s seeding allowed him to avoid facing Jannik Sinner prior to the semi-final and Carlos Alcaraz before the showpiece match.
Indeed, whilst he hasn’t lifted a Grand Slam since the 2023 US Open, Djokovic is not yet willing to give retirement much thought and is satisfied by continuing to play nonetheless.
“I have been asked a lot about obviously when is the, you know, end date going to come for me, but, you know, I don’t want to talk or think about it yet, because I’m here, I’m competing,” he added.
“When that arrives and kind of becomes ripe in my head, I’ll share it with you, and then we can all discuss on the farewell tour.
“But right now I’m still No. 4 in the world, still competing at the highest level, and I feel like there is no need to draw the attention to that discussion.”
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