“The more I play, the worse the pain”: a defeat in the United Cup and a worry for Djokovic

2024-01-03 15:56:38

This is certainly not what Novak Djokovic was hoping for to start his season. In his third match in the United Cup, the Serb was defeated this Wednesday by world number 12 Alex De Minaur in two short sets (6-4, 6-4). If the manner and level of play of the world number 1 can be understood for the start of the season, it is his physical state which is worrying, barely 10 days before the start of the Australian Open.

The day after his mixed doubles loss against the Czech Republic, the man with 24 Grand Slam titles appeared weakened, touching his wrist several times, and having to call the physiotherapist to have a massage. At 4-3 in the first set, after saving two break points, the Serb even showed himself to be particularly annoyed towards the trainer. “The more I play, the worse the pain gets,” one could hear.

The continuation of a pain seen during his previous match against Jiri Lehecka, but with which he reacted much better to win in three sets (6-1, 6-7, 6-1). “It happened during the warm-up before the match,” Djoker explained in the conference. I think it’s not a major problem, because I managed to finish the match and play well, although I didn’t feel at 100% of my abilities either. »

A first defeat in Australia since 2019

But the Serb hoped to see his pain disappear with rest. From the start of the match this Wednesday, we immediately felt Djokovic in difficulty on the court, notably with a very large number of unforced errors (31 in total), something unusual for him.

An injury which did not prevent him from finishing the match either, but which greatly influenced the fate of his duel against the Australian. One of the best, indeed certainly the best raiser in history, found himself unable to return the serve of Alex de Minaur, not at all a specialist in the matter. Proof of this is that Australia only lost one point behind its first ball over the entire match (33/34).

Pushed by his audience, in Perth, the local did not tremble at the end of the match to end Novak Djokovic’s series of 43 victories on Australian soil, whose last defeat dates back to January 15, 2019. All unless two weeks of the Australian Open in Melbourne (January 14-28), a tournament that the Serbian has won ten times and of which he is the title holder.

But the “Djoker” knows very well how to handle the art of injury. In 2021, he triumphed in Melbourne despite a torn abdominal muscle. Two years later, he did it again, still in Australia, winning with torn hamstrings. So injury or not, with Djokovic, you have to expect anything.