The 2022 season was a very tough one for Novak Djokovic, but there is a silver lining, according to his uncle, Goran Djokovic.
Djokovic had high hopes for the 2022 season, but it’s been very tough for him as he missed out on a couple of big events. Chief among them were the two Grand Slams that he missed.
He missed the Australian Open because he was deported from the country and then the US Open because he couldn’t enter the United States legally as an unvaccinated individual.
Those weren’t the only events he missed. He missed the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami) as well as the Cincinnati Open and the Canadian Open, so overall, it’s been a very shortened season for Djokovic in terms of the events he played this year.
While that might be annoying for the Serbian, especially missing out on the Grand Slams, his uncle Goran Djokovic believes that there is a silver lining in there.
In his words, having so much time away from the sport and not having to play as much this year will surely extend his career by 5-6 years, and there is some merit to that claim. Speaking to Pavlovic Today, he said:
"The ordeal he went through this year in Australia only extended his career. Instead of maybe retiring from tennis in three or four years, his career has been extended for five, or six years. He is resting his body."
Ultimately, the resilience Djokovic has will push him forward and make him come back even strong and so far in his career, that has mostly rung true.
"This year was not easy for Novak, but he keeps pressing forward. I am sure that after everything he endured, he will come out stronger. Novak is his own person. He knows who he is. Novak knows what he wants."