ADELAIDE – Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic withdrew from the Adelaide tournament on Monday, saying he was not ready to return to competition before the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.
He wants to focus his energy on preparing for the Australian Open.
The 38-year-old Serb with 24 Grand Slam titles has not played an official match for almost two months. He previously beat Lorenzo Musetti in the final of the Hellenic Championship in Athens on November 8 before announcing that he would withdraw from the ATP Finals for the second consecutive year, citing a shoulder injury.
“I have to announce to all my fans in Adelaide that unfortunately I am not quite physically ready to start the tournament,” wrote Djokovic on social networks.
“It’s a big disappointment for me personally because I have such great memories of winning the title two years ago. I was really excited because it felt like home. Now I’m concentrating on preparing for the Australian Open and I’m looking forward to arriving in Melbourne soon and meeting all the tennis fans in Australia.” he added.
The first Grand Slam of the season at Melbourne Park begins on January 18. Djokovic has won it a record 10 times, including his last so far in 2023. In the past two years, he has been eliminated in the semifinals, last year he retired after the first set in a duel with Alexander Zverev due to a torn hamstring muscle.
Djokovic reached the semifinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments last season. He starts this season ranked fourth in the ATP rankings, trailing only Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Zverev. The AP agency informed.
- Author: © List/
- Source: TASR
