Novak Djokovic gives injury update after getting 'green light' for next tournament

Novak Djokovic believes he will be ready to play his next tournament as planned

Novak Djokovic has given a promising update less than three weeks after he was forced to retire in the middle of his Australian Open semi-final. The world No. 7 injured himself in his previous match and, following his retirement, revealed he ruptured a muscle in his thigh. Djokovic was forced to miss his next event, Serbia's Davis Cup tie, but the 37-year-old is now planning to return to competition after getting the "green light".

Djokovic's trip Down Under ended in disappointment after an injury derailed his Australian Open run. The 10-time champion needed an off-court medical timeout while facing Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-final but dug deep to beat the Spaniard. He failed to recover in time for his next match and, after losing an 83-set to Alexander Zverev in the semis, Djokovic forfeitted the match. The Serb later shared an MRI scan showing the extent of his injury. But, less than three weeks later, Djokovic is now "almost 100 per cent" and is planning to compete in next week's Qatar Open. "There is no more rupture in the muscle, the injury is almost 100 per cent repaired and I am ready to go to new work victories," he told Vijesti.

Novak Djokovic picked up an injury during his Australian Open quarter-final match

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"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." Djokovic will turn 38 this year and he's well aware that he will face more physical struggles as he gets older. But the world No. 7 still believes his body can recover well. He added: "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." One milestone Djokovic is hoping to achieve is lifting his 100th career title. The Serb won number 99 at the Olympics last summer and has been in pursuit of his centennial trophy since.

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