Novak Djokovic has nearly absolutely recovered from the harm that ended his Australian Open marketing campaign and has set his sights on lifting a one centesimal singles title at subsequent week’s Qatar Open.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion retired from his semifinal match in opposition to Alexander Zverev final month resulting from a hamstring harm.
The world No. 7 was booed by the gang at Melbourne Park and responded by posting a photograph of an MRI scan taken of his left hamstring with the caption: “Thought I would go away this right here for all of the sports activities harm ‘specialists’ on the market.”
He additionally withdrew from Serbia’s Davis Cup first-round qualifying tie, by which they misplaced to Denmark.
“There isn’t any extra rupture within the muscle, the harm is nearly 100% healed …,” Djokovic, 37, informed Montenegrin every day newspaper Vijesti in an interview revealed Monday.
“I’ve the inexperienced gentle from the medical workforce to have the ability to practice, to have the ability to put together. The match in Doha is scheduled for every week now, so I’m sticking to the schedule. Thank God, I managed to recuperate shortly.
“I’ve had a couple of extra accidents recently than I did within the first 15 years of my profession. That most likely comes with age, however my physique nonetheless listens to me, the flame and need for achievement and new achievements nonetheless burns in me.”
On the Qatar Open, operating Feb. 17-22, Djokovic will vie to turn out to be solely the third man to win 100 singles titles on the tour within the skilled period after Jimmy Connors (109) and former rival Roger Federer (103).
The Serbian, whose 99th title got here in August together with his victory on the Paris Olympics, got here closest to successful his one centesimal on the Shanghai Masters the place he was crushed by world No. 1 Jannik Sinner within the closing in October.
“I hope that the one centesimal trophy can come already in Doha, I have been chasing it for a very long time, since October final yr, however about that — it’s going to come when it is supposed to come back,” stated the 37-year-old, who received the title in Doha in 2016 and 2017.
“I do know it’s going to come, we’ll see when and the place.”