Novak Djokovic: bitter admission after retirement
The words of Novak Djokovic
It's ended in the worst way Novak Djokovic's adventure at the Australian Open. The Serbian tennis player, in fact, è was forced to raise the white flag in the semifinals against Alexander Zverev after losing the first set in the tie-break, due to the exacerbation of the leg problem already accused during the previous match against Carlos Alcaraz. Speaking at a press conference, the Belgrade native wanted to shed light on his physical condition and the reasons that prompted him to withdraw.
"I haven't hit a ball since the game against Alcaraz, so until an hour before today's game. I did everything I could to manage the muscle tear I had. Medication and physical therapy work helped me to some extent, but towards the end of the first set I started to feel more and more pain and it was difficult to manage. An unfortunate ending, but I tried" began the Serbian tennis player.
"The first shots I took were in the warm-up with Sascha. I was fine but as I played the pain got worse. If I had won the first set I would have tried to continue, maybe for a few games or a set. but I’m not sure I would have made it to the end of the match. The MRI showed a muscle tear. Two years ago I would have handled it better. In camoo it didn’t bother me, but this time it è wasn’t like that. I had an extra day of rest and I thought it would be enough to recover, but unfortunately it è" not so, continued the Belgrade native.
"I think I played very well. If I had been able to get healthy physically and stay in shape I would have had a good chance to win. I could play my chances today, it was never going to be an easy battle, but neither was Zverev. There are many positives about the way I played in the semifinals. It's a very good result considering the circumstances, but not è satisfactory for me and my standards" added the former world number one.
"Now the blow è hot, so it will be important to recover before making any kind of assessment. He will go back home, try to heal and then we will see if he can play in Doha. Regarding the Australian Open final, I wish Sascha the best, he deserves his first Slam, so Iò will cheer for him" concluded Novak Djokovic.
