Novak Djokovic: ‘I don’t feel that I need to prove anything to anyone’

The left leg injury seems to be falling behind for Novak Djokovic. The 35-year-old Serbian tennis player acknowledged after his victory in the round of 16 of the Australian Open that he is feeling better physically, just to face the final part of the event. “The truth is that I go day by day. I do many things with my team, we work on numerous aspects that allow me to be prepared to compete. It has been exhausting to see myself involved in so many treatments, machines and others, but it was what was necessary to that my body was ready”, commented the former number one in the world. “I didn’t feel any pain and I moved around the track perfectly which means I’m heading in the right direction. I don’t want to take anything for granted, but this game gives me a lot of reasons to think that I can achieve my goal here. I don’t know how the body will respond tomorrow, but what I felt today was fantastic,” he added at the press conference after his victory over Alex de Minaur. Djokovic acknowledged that the injury even made him hesitate to participate in the tournament: “It’s been six days I could not consider winning the title, I say that honestly. My only goal was to try to get out on the track to compete, but this meeting changes everything. I’m feeling good at the tennis level and the fact that I’m the only player in the draw who knows what it’s like to win a Grand Slam gives me a lot of confidence. I have known how to deal with the pain and with the way in which this injury conditioned my movements”. Now Djokovic will face Andrey Rublev, being only three steps away from title number 10 at Melbourne Park.

Djokovic has had enough of the accusations

Novak Djokovic has had enough of the accusations spreading about him “faking” his injury at the 2023 Australian Open. “I leave the doubting to those people – let them doubt,” he said. “Only my injuries are questioned. When some other players are injured, then they are the victims, but when it is me, I am faking it. It is very interesting. I don’t feel that I need to prove anything to anyone. I am not really interested at this point what people are thinking and saying. It is fun, it is interesting to see how the narrative surrounding me continues, narrative that is different compared to other players that have been going through similar situation,” Djokovic said. “But I am used to it, and it just gives me extra strength and motivation. So I thank them for that.”