Novak Djokovic makes massive injury admission ahead of first Australian Open 2023 match

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic is back to Australian Open after missing out on the previous edition in 2022 due to his stance on mandatory Covid vaccination policy for Australia Visa. With his return, tennis fans are looking forward to an exciting contest as Djokovic tries to equal Nadal’s 22 grand slam title victories in the race for winning the highest ever in history.

But in a shocking revelation, Djokovic is struggling with his fitness before the tournament gets underway in Melbourne. He had earlier pulled out of a training session due to problems with his hamstring. On Saturday, the 35-year-old spoke on the matter in order to dispel any speculations about his injury.

ALSO READ: ‘I’m here to play tennis’: Nadal’s sharp response to Zverev’s bold ‘Rafa will retire at Rolland Garros’ prediction

“Well, 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, practice sets. So that’s a positive sign,” said Djokovic.

“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 added.

The Serbian tennis star also talked about the prospect of winning his 22nd grand slam title and becoming the best ever tennis player in men’s singles tennis history. Djokovic has won the Australian Open nine times in his illustrious career.

“Of course, it is. I mean, that’s why I keep on playing professional tennis, competition tennis, because I want to be the best, I want to win the biggest tournaments in the world. There is no secret about it,” said Djokovic

“It doesn’t get bigger than this. You have four slams that historically have been the biggest events in our sport. It’s also one of the biggest reasons why I was really looking forward to come back to Australia: because of my record here,” he added.

Djokovic will play against Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena in his first match at the tournament on Tuesday.