Former world No.1 Novak Djokovic today had good news about his fitness although he had retired from the semifinals of the Australian Open due to an injury in his leg. The 37-year-old Serbian is expected to return to action at the Qatar Open in Doha starting February 17, where he eyes a milestone of winning his 100th ATP title.
Speaking to Montenegrin newspaper Vijesti, Djokovic confirmed he has been cleared by his medical team to resume full training and competition. "There's no longer any muscle tear. The injury is almost 100 percent healed, and I’m ready to go for more victories," Djokovic said. "I have the green light from the medical team to train and prepare. The Doha tournament is in seven days, and I’m sticking to my schedule."
The attempt of Djokovic to become the first person to win a record-extending 25 Grand Slam titles went off the tracks as he had to retire while trailing behind the first set after he suffered injuries during the semifinal match against Alexander Zverev. Injury had been worrying him in the quarterfinal bout against Carlos Alcaraz.
However, with his recovery going on in full swing, Djokovic is now eyeing the elite club of players to reach 100 ATP titles, along with tennis legends Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer. "I've been chasing it [100th ATP title] for a while, since last October. But we'll see, it'll come when it comes," he said.
Despite suffering more injuries the past few years, the 24-time Grand Slam champion remains positive regarding his future years within the sport. "Thank God I managed to recover quickly. I've had a few more injuries recently compared to the first 15 years of my career. It probably comes with age, but my body is still serving me well and I still have the flame and desire," he added.
Djokovic has had to fight through injuries over the past year, with one notable miss being the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2023 on account of a right knee injury that required meniscus surgery. He returned in time for Wimbledon, where he lost to Alcaraz in the final.
However, he is expected to bounce back with his first Olympic gold medal win against the same man at Roland Garros.
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