Coach Petar Popovic believes Novak Djokovic only risked playing injured at the Australian Open because it was a Grand Slam tournament. In the first week of the season, Djokovic suffered a hamstring injury during his Adelaide semi-final match against Daniil Medvedev.
After Djokovic captured a record 10th Australian Open title, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley revealed that the Serb played through a 3cm tear in his hamstring. Popovic currently works with Corentin Moutet. “If it hadn’t been a Grand Slam, Novak wouldn’t have played.
But since he’s chasing records in the race to be the greatest of all time, he took a chance and did something incredible. The stakes are high to become the GOAT, you have to make this sacrifice. Novak knows that Australia is the Major where he plays the best.
It is the same for Rafa in Roland, his garden. She won’t do that at Wimbledon. It’s normal I think. But they are not the only ones who do this. At least 50% of the guys have trouble getting to a Grand Slam. Many play with painkillers,» Popovic told L’Equipe, according to We love tennis France.
Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic: many would have withdrawn
Djokovic’s movement didn’t look very good in the first week of the Australian Open. But with the help of his physio, Djokovic’s condition improved and he looked much better in the second week.
After Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Australian Open final, his coach Ivanisevic said that 97% would have simply withdrawn from the tournament.. «I won’t say 100%, but 97% of the players on Saturday, when you get the MRI results, you go directly to the referee’s office and walk away.
But not him. He is of a different species. He’s getting crazier and crazier, I can tell he’s laughing. He is an endless field of madness, in a positive way I mean. The guy is amazing, I don’t know how to describe him. I thought he had seen everything, but then I see this (as) unbelievable,» Ivanisevic said after Djokovic won the Australian Open.
