Djokovic Considers Skipping Practice To Preserve Health For Next Rounds At Australian Open
ATP
Novak Djokovic is enduring a very complicated start to the 2024 Australian Open, and he might be skipping practices to preserve his health.
Until his first-round match, there was an assumption that Djokovic was only dealing with a wrist injury. That's wrong because he's actually been dealing with a sickness of sorts as well.
After his match against Dino Prizmic, Djokovic spoke about feeling 'under the weather' for a few days. That's not ideal, and while he did overcome the Croatian, he exerted quite a bit of energy by doing so.
The match lasted 4 hours, the longest first-round match he's ever played, and with the wrist and the sickness, it's just not ideal.
That's why he confirmed that he might be skipping practices in the next few days to give himself time to properly recover. He'll consult the team and see what they'll do.
Maybe it will be some light work to keep in optimal condition, but it's clear that Djokovic is being very mindful of the situation he's in.
"I will discuss with my team tomorrow, see if I maybe skip practice tomorrow, tennis practice. Maybe do some light work, gym, jog, some specific exercises just to keep my body in shape."
Not practicing between matches isn't ideal or the norm for Djokovic, but it wouldn't be a huge problem for him. As he reminded the press, he didn't really practice between matches last year when he dealt with a 3 cm tear in his hamstring.
If he has to do something similar this year, he'll know how to manage it as he won last year.
"I mean, last year I haven't practiced in between any match really. It was different circumstances because I was injured. I think now with two days, it's quite useful after playing four-hour opening round. Let's see how I wake up tomorrow and then we'll play it by ear."
