As he reflects on the Australian Open
Novak Djokovic has reacted to Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal from the 2024 Indian Wells Open and reflected on his semi-final defeat at the Australian Open, Tennis 365 reports.
The great Serbian admitted he did not feel he had “the proper time to rest and to do a proper preparation block” for the Australian Open, given his late finish to the 2023 season.
In Indian Wells, Nadal and Djokovic were in the same tournament draw for the first time since the 2023 Australian Open, but the Spaniard was forced to withdraw due to his physical condition.
Nadal was set to face 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic in the first round in Indian Wells on Thursday, but he pulled out on the opening day of the Masters 1000 event.
“It is with great sadness that I have to withdraw from this amazing tournament. Everyone knows how much I love this place and how much I love to play here at Indian Wells,” the 22-time major champion said in a statement.
“That’s also one of the reasons why I came very early to the desert to practice and try to get ready. I have been working hard and practicing, and you all know I took a test this weekend, but I don’t find myself ready to play at the highest level at such an important event.
“It is not an easy decision; it’s a tough one, in fact, but I can’t lie to myself or lie to the thousands of fans. I will miss you all, and I am sure the tournament will be a great success.”
The 37-year-old has not played an ATP event since returning from almost a year out of action in Brisbane in January. He suffered a hip injury during his quarter-final loss to Jordan Thompson.
In a press conference ahead of his appearance in Indian Wells, Djokovic was asked about the fact that his great rival Nadal could not compete.
“It’s sad that Rafa had to withdraw from the tournament and for him. I travelled with him to America, that was not planned,” the 36-year-old said.
“It was nice to see him and his family, and I know he came in early because he wanted to adjust to the time zone, get as much practice as possible, and get himself ready to play. That’s why he came in early. He gave his best, but it wasn’t to be.”
World No. 1 addressed the disappointment of not adding to his 11 Australian Open titles record at the 2024 edition of the Grand Slam, where he lost to Jannik Sinner in the last four.
“Australia has been a place where I’ve won the most Slams. For most of my career, I started the seasons with a Grand Slam trophy, which gives you huge wind in the sails for the rest of the season,” the 24-time major winner reflected.
“You have more confidence when you start the year in such a fashion. Also, I guess you feel a significant relief. I didn’t feel like I had the proper time to rest and do an appropriate preparation block as I would typically do, but it is what it is.
“I don’t think I played my best tennis in Australia, whereas Jannik did, and he was just far better player than me that day [in the semi-finals]. And after that, he made an incredible comeback in the final and won his first title. So it was deserved.”
Djokovic also discussed being back in Indian Wells, where he is a five-time champion, having not played the tournament since 2016.
“It feels great. There’s a reason why they call it Tennis Paradise. It’s an enjoyable experience for players, for fans,” the Serbian said.
“Anybody who really loves the sport enjoys this tournament very much, so I was very excited to come back. It’s been five years, and time flies incredibly fast.”
Djokovic will face world No. 69 Aleksandar Vukic in the second round in Indian Wells.
