Novak Djokovic has backed himself to be fully prepared for his 2024 Australian Open title defense despite his United Cup setback.
Djokovic fell to a straight sets defeat to Australian player Alex De Minaur on Tuesday (6-4, 6-4) and also suffered an injury during the process.
The ATP world number one had wrist troubles during his previous victory against Jiri Lehecka at the United Cup but elected to play against De Minaur despite showing some discomfort.
The defeat to De Minaur ended Djokovic's lengthy run of 43 consecutive victories in Australia - an untimely end with the Australian Open just two weeks away.
When speaking about his performance and preparation for the first Grand Slam of the year, Djokovic admitted that he was not at his best at the United Cup, but he believed time is on his side as he gears up his preparations for Melbourne.
"You know, I was not on my level, but, you know, it was just one of these days where you didn't feel your best, I guess, on the court, and your opponent played very well. That's all I can say."
"I have plenty of time to -- plenty, I mean, I think enough time to get myself in the right shape for Australian Open, and that's what matters the most at this point."
Djokovic will now likely step back and focus on his own development ahead of the 2024 Australian Open, which begins on January 14. The poor showing against De Minaur did not seem to concern Djokovic, but his wrist concern might be more of an issue if he cannot recover in time.
However, it is not the first time the 24-time Grand Slam winner has played a major tournament with an injury. After Djokovic sealed his record 10th title at Melbourne Park last season, it was later revealed that the Serbian was playing with an abdominal tear.
0 Comments