Novak Djokovic has shared an update on his recovery following the injury that cut short his 2025 Australian Open campaign.
The Serbian star confirmed he will stick to his schedule and plans to return at the Qatar Open in Doha.
Djokovic tore a hamstring in his left leg during the first set of his quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz. While he fought through the injury to defeat Alcaraz, it ultimately forced him to retire after the opening set of his semi-final against Alexander Zverev.
Set to compete in the Qatar Open for the first time since 2019, Djokovic previously won the tournament in 2016 and 2017. This year’s edition, upgraded from ATP 250 to ATP 500 level, will take place from February 17 to 22.
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alex de Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Grigor Dimitrov have all confirmed their participation.
Speaking to Vijesti, Djokovic revealed he has made a swift recovery from his hamstring injury.
“There is no more rupture in the muscle, the injury is almost 100 percent repaired and I am ready to go to new work victories,” he said (translated from Serbian).
“I have the green light from the medical team that I can train, that I can prepare. The tournament in Doha is scheduled for seven days now, so I’m sticking to the schedule. Thank God, I was able to recover quickly.
“I’ve had a bit more injuries lately than I did in the first 15 years of my career. This probably comes with age, but my body still listens to me, I still have a burning flame and a desire to achieve and achieve new things.
“That’s why I hope for success, both next week in Doha and in the rest of the season.”
The 24-time Grand Slam champion also spoke about the dedication and sacrifices he has made in his life.
“Either you progress or you regress, at least I have always done things with maximum dedication, one hundred percent when it comes to tennis,” Djokovic added.
“For that, I always had the support of the people who are the most important in my life, even though it brings with it some consequences and affects relationships in the family and with friends. You have to make many sacrifices in that context.”
Iga Swiatek gives touching opinion about rival Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek couldn’t help but smile when asked about Aryna Sabalenka, but ultimately, she believes their rivalry is something the WTA Tour “has been kind of missing.”
Swiatek and Sabalenka have been the most dominant and consistent players in women’s tennis over the past two years, as they are the only two to have held the WTA No. 1 ranking since Ashleigh Barty’s retirement in 2022.
The Polish star has spent 125 weeks at the top—75 of them consecutively—while Sabalenka has held the position for 25 weeks since overtaking Swiatek in October last year.
Their dominance extends to Grand Slams, with Swiatek winning four majors and Sabalenka claiming three.
While their rivalry initially seemed tense, they have shared several lighthearted off-court moments in recent months, even training together in late 2024.
When asked about Sabalenka, Swiatek initially joked before turning serious, acknowledging the significance of their growing rivalry.
“What do I think about Aryna? That’s a tough one (laughs). I’ll be diplomatic. No, I’m kidding,” she said.
“It’s nice to have such a great athlete as an opponent. We’re both pushing each other and we’re both creating some great entertainment sometimes when we’re playing against each other.
“I think we are something WTA has been kind of missing for a while because we have this great rivalry, and the fans are excited every time they see both of us.
“I think it’s great that we play tennis so well and just push each other, and that’s really helpful, for sure, in anybody’s career to have an opponent like that.”
