Novak Djokovic has nearly absolutely recovered from the harm that ended his Australian Open marketing campaign and has set his sights on lifting a a hundredth singles title at subsequent week’s Qatar Open.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion retired from his semifinal match towards Alexander Zverev final month attributable to a hamstring harm.
The world No. 7 was booed by the group at Melbourne Park and responded by posting a photograph of an MRI scan taken of his left hamstring with the caption: “Thought I would go away this right here for all of the sports activities harm ‘consultants’ on the market.”
He additionally withdrew from Serbia’s Davis Cup first-round qualifying tie, by which they misplaced to Denmark.
“There isn’t any extra rupture within the muscle, the harm is sort of 100% healed …,” Djokovic, 37, instructed Montenegrin every day newspaper Vijesti in an interview revealed Monday.
“I’ve the inexperienced gentle from the medical workforce to have the ability to practice, to have the ability to put together. The event in Doha is scheduled for every week now, so I’m sticking to the schedule. Thank God, I managed to get well rapidly.
“I’ve had a couple of extra accidents recently than I did within the first 15 years of my profession. That in all probability comes with age, however my physique nonetheless listens to me, the flame and need for achievement and new achievements nonetheless burns in me.”
On the Qatar Open, working Feb. 17-22, Djokovic will vie to change into solely the third man to win 100 singles titles on the tour within the skilled period after Jimmy Connors (109) and former rival Roger Federer (103).
The Serbian, whose 99th title got here in August together with his victory on the Paris Olympics, got here closest to profitable his a hundredth on the Shanghai Masters the place he was crushed by world No. 1 Jannik Sinner within the ultimate in October.
“I hope that the a hundredth trophy can come already in Doha, I have been chasing it for a very long time, since October final 12 months, however about that — it can come when it is supposed to return,” mentioned the 37-year-old, who gained the title in Doha in 2016 and 2017.
“I do know it can come, we’ll see when and the place.”
