Novak Djokovic gave an update following his injury-related withdrawal from the Australian Open semi-final.
After losing to Alexander Zverev, the sixth-ranked player disclosed a thigh muscle tear, which also led him to skip Serbia’s Davis Cup match against Denmark.
Despite this, Djokovic is now hopeful about playing in his upcoming tournament in Doha. However, his collaboration with Andy Murray is still uncertain.
His Australian Open journey ended abruptly after he retired following a lengthy 81-minute set against Zverev.
Djokovic, at 37, had already been dealing with an injury from his match against Carlos Alcaraz, which required medical attention off the court.
Djokovic later admitted he didn’t know how long he would be sidelined, adding: “I still have Doha tournament in few weeks’ time that is scheduled. Whether I’m going to play it or not, it really does depend on how quickly I recover.”
The 24-time Grand Slam winner, Novak Djokovic, has already sat out one event due to his thigh injury, withdrawing from Serbia’s Davis Cup squad. However, he’s now set to play in the ATP 500 in Doha.
Sportal reports that Djokovic plans to participate in the Qatar Open and will head to Doha early to adapt to the local conditions.
Upon returning home from Australia, the 37-year-old has been receiving treatment in Serbia, and he hasn’t resumed training as he concentrates on healing.
There’s no confirmation yet on whether Andy Murray will join him in Doha. Murray had recently teamed up with Djokovic for the Australian Open in a high-profile partnership.
After Djokovic’s semi-final run, both men said they needed to discuss their next steps. “I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me,” Djokovic said.
“You know, give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels and we make the next step.
“We are still hotheaded and disappointed, so it’s kind of hard to switch the page and start talking about what the next steps are. You know, I think we both need to cool off a little bit and then we’ll have a chat.”
The duo has not yet decided if they’ll keep working together. Even if Murray remains Djokovic’s coach, he might opt out of smaller tournaments like the Qatar Open.
Murray didn’t accompany Djokovic at the Brisbane International at the beginning of the season because he had a pre-scheduled family ski vacation, although he kept in touch with the world No. 6. They might arrange something similar for events that are not Grand Slams or Masters 1000 tournaments.
