After Australia entry scandal: Djokovic admits severe mental stress

After Australia entry scandal
Djokovic admits severe mental strain

At the beginning of the year, Novak Djokovic caused a scandal. The tennis world number one travels unvaccinated to the Australia Open and is thrown out of the country. Now the Serb tells how much the nerve-wracking days took him down. However, he does not give up his hunt for a record.

The quarter-finals in Dubai, the opening defeat in Monte Carlo, the lost final in Belgrade: behind tennis dominator Novak Djokovic there are unusual defeats, which he explains in retrospect with the nerve-wracking days in Melbourne. “These were circumstances that I had never faced in my life,” said the 34-year-old Serb in an interview with Tennis Channel.

Because of the refusal to be vaccinated, Djokovic had unsuccessfully fought with the authorities at the beginning of the year to enter Australia. “It was something completely unexpected that took a toll on me more mentally and emotionally than physically,” said the tennis superstar four months later. He has only been able to recover from it in the past few weeks: “I tried to convert it into positive energy.”

The hunt for the record

The world number one succeeds quite well, at least at the clay court masters in Madrid. Without losing a set, Djokovic advanced to the semifinals against the Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz (Saturday, 4 p.m. / Sky). His big goal is the French Open in Paris (from May 22nd), where Djokovic catches up with his 21st Grand Slam title to record holder Rafael Nadal (Spain) and veteran Roger Federer (Switzerland, also 20 Grand Slam titles) wants to overtake. In Roland Garros, the Serb is the defending champion.

Almost a week ago, Djokovic was dismayed by the two and a half year prison sentence against his former coach Boris Becker. “It broke my heart. He’s a longtime friend, he was my coach for three years, he’s someone close to me and who has contributed a lot to my success,” said Djokovic on the sidelines of the Masters tournament in Madrid . “As a friend” he was “very sad”. He hopes, the Serb explained, that Becker “will survive this time and that if he is released from prison, he can live his life.” Praying for Becker, he expressed his hope that the 54-year-old is “doing well in terms of his mental health because that’s going to be the hardest part.” Becker was Djokovic’s successful coach from the end of 2013 to the end of 2016.

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