‘Novak Djokovic was willing to stick by that’, says ATP legend

Novak Djokovic triumphed for the tenth time at the Australian Open, fulfilling the predictions of the day before and showing that he is still the strongest. In addition to overtaking Rafael Nadal at the top of the Grand Slam all-time rankings, “Nole” returned to the top of the world rankings, unseating Carlos Alcaraz from the throne. The Serbian star confirmed that he has a special feeling for the “Happy Slam”, where he has not lost since 2018. The 35-year-old from Belgrade only lost one set during the tournament and the only unknowns were related to his physical condition. Novak played in the Australian Open with a left hamstring injury, which he had suffered during the Adelaide ATP semi-final against Daniil Medvedev. Goran Ivanisevic’s protégé did not shine in the first week of the Australian Open, but his level skyrocketed from the eighth round. On the sidelines of the tournament, AO director Craig Tiley revealed that the Serb played with a three-centimeter tear in his left thigh. Liam Broady, current number 178 in the ATP rankings, expressed his opinion on Novak Djokovic’s injury on Twitter: “My sister has been playing with a thigh strain for a long time so I don’t question the extent of Novak’s injury. On the other hand, I find it strange that Craig Tiley leaked private medical information about Djokovic before he did. If he managed to dominate the Australian Open despite a torn muscle like Tiley said, it’s really unbelievable.”

Connors speaks about Djokovic

Former American tennis player Jimmy Connors has defended Novak Djokovic over his refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine. “The guy stood up for his beliefs, right or wrong, some people are going to say moving to the left, the other is going to stay moving to the right? But he stood up for his beliefs and he was willing to stick by that, to the point of being ostracized from the game. That’s brutal. I can identify, I was ostracized. You know, from the French Open and from playing some tournaments and stuff like that. So, what the hell, go in there and do your job when that’s the only way to get even. And I hate to say that because it sounds like ‘oh god, he’s angry’, I’m not angry. I just know how many of those people that have cr**ped on him last year and all that, are kissing his a** now. All of them.”