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.”

Tennis star Reilly Opelka might face significant penalties after he labeled an umpire as the “worst ump on tour.”

During the second round of the Dallas Open earlier this month, Opelka faced Cameron Norrie, ultimately winning the match 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4.

However, the game was not without its controversies. Opelka was docked a point for using profane language directed at a spectator, whom he accused of constantly disrupting his serve.

Confronting the fan, he asked: “You doing it on f***ing purpose or what?” Prior to telling them to get out.”

Following the match, Reilly Opelka was candid about his thoughts on the incident, especially regarding chair umpire Greg Allensworth. The 27-year-old didn’t mince words, saying, “Worst ump on tour. He’s real bad.”

Following the match, Reilly Opelka was candid about his thoughts on the incident, especially regarding chair umpire Greg Allensworth. The 27-year-old didn’t mince words, saying, “Worst ump on tour. He’s real bad.”

“Almost changed the outcome of that match just because he doesn’t really know what he’s doing.

“And he got emotional, when we were arguing. … He didn’t tell [the fan] to shut up? He was doing it for, like, three points. He didn’t do his job, so I had to tell him, ‘Get out of here.’”

Due to his comments, the ATP has decided to take disciplinary action against Opelka, issuing the following statement:

“Audible obscenities directed at members of the public constitute a clear violation of ATP rules.

“In such instances, the chair umpire has a responsibility to take appropriate action, regardless of the match score. The ATP will review Mr. Opelka’s post-match comments as part of its standard disciplinary process.”

Opelka showed his frustration by refusing to shake hands with Allensworth at the match’s conclusion, signaling just how upset the ATP star was.

On Allensworth’s performance, Opelka added: “He gets no penalty. If I lose that point, I lose that match, that’s a difference in my paycheck. He gets no repercussions. That was bush league.

“The guy shouldn’t have a job or should be sidelined for about four weeks and you learn a thing or two. You can’t make those calls in ATP 500s. You’ve got to understand the situation. You can’t always play by the rulebook. It’s common sense.”

After defeating the British No. 2, Opelka fell to Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals, losing 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.

However, he’ll be back on the court Monday, taking on Christopher Eubanks at the Delray Beach Open in Florida.

Nick Kyrgios rejects his own Jannik Sinner comments and doubles down on complete U-turn

Nick Kyrgios has fiercely reacted to an old interview where he once called Jannik Sinner his “favorite player.”

Since Sinner tested positive for a banned substance last year, Kyrgios has been relentless in his criticism. The Italian was later cleared by an independent panel after explaining that trace amounts of the substance entered his system through a steroid cream used by someone in his entourage.

However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed the ruling and is pushing for a lengthy ban on the world No. 1. Kyrgios has been a vocal critic of the process, fueling ongoing tension between him and Sinner.

“You get tested twice with a banned substance… you should be gone for two years,” Kyrgios wrote in one of his scathing social media posts last August. “Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream… Yeah, nice.”

This week, an old interview resurfaced where Kyrgios speaks highly of Sinner. The widely shared video shows the Australian saying:

“Sinner is like my favourite player right now.”

Kyrgios’ recent remarks have made it clear that his opinion of Sinner has shifted. He reinforced this change by personally responding to the resurfaced video where he once praised the Italian, writing:

“This was before he was found with roids in his system.”

Last month, Sinner set aside the doping controversy and claimed his third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open—Kyrgios’ home turf. The 23-year-old dropped just two sets on his way to victory, defeating Holger Rune, Alex de Minaur, and Alexander Zverev.

Ahead of his dominant win over Zverev in the final, Sinner was asked about Kyrgios’ criticism but chose not to respond.

“In my mind I know exactly what happened, and that’s how I block it out,” he said. “I haven’t done anything wrong. That’s why I’m still here. That’s why I’m still playing. I don’t want to respond to what Nick said or what other players say. I think the most important part is having people around me that I can trust, people that know exactly what happened. That’s all.”

Kyrgios also took part in the Australian Open but battled an abdominal strain, leading to a first-round exit at the hands of Jacob Fearnley.

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.