New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) Former World No.1 Novak Djokovic has provided a positive update on his fitness, revealing that his leg injury — which forced him to retire from the Australian Open semifinals — is now “almost 100 percent healed”. The 37-year-old Serbian is set to return to action at the Qatar Open in Doha, starting February 17, as he eyes a historic milestone of winning his 100th ATP title.
Speaking to Montenegrin newspaper Vijesti, Djokovic confirmed he has been cleared by his medical team to resume full training and competition. “There’s no longer any muscle tear. The injury is almost 100 percent healed, and I’m ready to go for more victories,” Djokovic said. “I have the green light from the medical team to train and prepare. The Doha tournament is in seven days, and I’m sticking to my schedule.”
Djokovic’s bid for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open was derailed when he was forced to retire injured after dropping the opening set against Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. The injury had troubled him during his quarterfinal battle against Carlos Alcaraz, raising concerns about his immediate future on the tour.
However, with his recovery progressing swiftly, Djokovic is now focused on joining the elite club of players to reach 100 ATP titles, alongside tennis legends Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer. “I’ve been chasing it [100th ATP title] for a while, since last October. But we’ll see, it’ll come when it comes,” he said.
Despite facing more injuries in recent years, the 24-time Grand Slam champion remains optimistic about his longevity in the sport. “Thank God I managed to recover quickly. I’ve had a few more injuries recently compared to the first 15 years of my career. It probably comes with age, but my body is still serving me well and I still have the flame and desire,” he added.
Djokovic has had to battle through injuries over the past year, notably missing the French Open quarterfinals in 2023 due to a right knee injury that required meniscus surgery. He returned in time for Wimbledon, where he lost to Alcaraz in the final, but bounced back to claim his first Olympic gold medal by defeating the Spaniard at Roland Garros.
–IANS
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