Once Australia was over, Novak Djokovic’s team thought they would have the opportunity to play the other three Grand Slams of the 2022 season. In the end, it didn’t happen. It has been a difficult year for the best tennis player in the world, who for not getting vaccinated against Covid-19 had to be absent from the “big” in New York.
His coach, Croatian Goran Ivanisevic, analyzed what the ‘Nole’ season was like. “When you are a tennis player you face pressure all the time, but we had to wait to make the calendar and we couldn’t organize ourselves.
First you are allowed to play, then the restriction does not allow you to. You prepare something for which you cannot play. You don’t know where or what to prepare. It was a roller coaster. Luckily, things calmed down and more and more countries were open.
After Wimbledon we expected positive news from the United States, but it didn’t come. Then, we wait for those from Australia, which did arrive”, Ivanisevic pointed out. “The worst is the wait. You want to play and you don’t know where you can do it.
In the end, he could have finished as world number one if the ATP hadn’t stripped Wimbledon of points. I don’t want to talk about the 8,000 points that he couldn’t even defend or be there. That wait for something to happen.
Finally, what happens is the trophy, “he added in statements taken up by ‘ Punto de Break ‘ Precisely the coach of the winner of 21 Grand Slams recognized the disappointment of not having permission to play the US Open: “There was a time after Wimbledon when, after taking a few days, Novak started training again waiting for good news from the United States.
He had my bags packed. He was waiting. He was getting ready, but no news was coming. Then he went through Cincinnati, another week and the US Open started, when we knew we weren’t going. I have spent a good summer with my family in Umag, but I wanted to go to New York”, he concluded.
Craig Tiley reflects on Djokovic
The Australian Open 2023 promises to be explosive with the return of Novak Djokovic, finally authorized to apply for a visa. In remarks granted to The Age, the director of the first Grand Slam of the year, Craig Tiley, rubs his hands.
“A changing of the guard? I think this could be the year… I’ve been around long enough to know that the Australian Open is unearthing and discovering the greats of tomorrow. But if you look at Djokovic’s form, you can say he is the best player in the world.
He is an incredible tennis player and it is here that he has won the most… He will be very keen not to let the young talents steal the title from him.”
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