Novak Djokovic raises concerns with blunt statement after Doha loss | Tennis | Sport
Novak Djokovic has raised fresh concerns after falling at the first hurdle in Doha.
The world No. 7 was dumped out in the opening round, suffering a 7-6(4) 6-2 loss to Matteo Berrettini on Tuesday.
Afterwards, Djokovic gave a blunt assessment of the match and admitted he still couldn’t “move” properly, also addressing injury fears.
Djokovic was playing his first match since retiring injured in the Australian Open semi-final with a muscle tear. The Serb had already won a round in doubles with Fernando Verdasco, the former world No. 7 who is retiring in Doha this week.
He received a brutal draw, coming up against Berrettini in his first singles match – a rematch of the 2021 Wimbledon final. The Italian had never beaten Djokovic but he finally earned a long-awaited win, taking a close first set in a tiebreak before racing through the second.
Djokovic later confirmed that his muscle tear didn’t affect him – but sparked concern when he discussed his movement on court and conceded that he was getting injured more often.
“I mean, I didn’t have any pain or discomfort in that sense. I mean, I was outplayed by just a better player today,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion said.
“I wasn’t at my desired level, and it could be that I’m still not moving the way I want to move, but, I mean, I played without pain, so there is no excuse in that.
“He was just the better player. I think he played a master class match, to be honest, tactically, and served very well, so just a very deserved win from his side.”
Djokovic also addressed the physical problems that have been creeping up over the past year. As well as his recent thigh muscle tear, he underwent meniscus surgery last summer.
“There’s more injuries, for sure,” he stated. “Things are not the same like 10 years ago, 15 years ago.
“I still try to take care of my body on a daily basis, and it’s more challenging now, no doubt, but I still try to do my very best, given the circumstances.”
Djokovic is still alive in the doubles draw with Verdasco. They face No. 2 seeds and recent Australian Open champions Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten in the second round on Wednesday.
The 37-year-old added: “My plan is to try to go as far as I can in doubles, you know. I’m still in the doubles tournament tomorrow with Verdasco, and I look forward to that. So I’ll stay in Doha at least for one more match, and then we see.
“I mean, yeah, obviously I was planning to go to Indian Wells and Miami, so I’ll talk with my team after I finish with this tournament.”
