Novak Djokovic shone at the Australian Grand Slam tournament, literally destroying one opponent after another. Although he turned to doctors for help during the competition, no one could have imagined how serious the Serb’s health problems were.

And he had a three-centimeter torn ligament!

“His brain works differently”

When the Serbian won the final match at the Australian Open, he could not contain his emotions. The footage of him cuddling with his team with tears in his eyes was scattered all over the world. Novak admitted that only his relatives really know what this success cost him. Djokovic even stated that this was the biggest victory of his life.

Serious words, given the fantastic career of the Serbian tennis player, who has 10 victories in the Austrlaian Open alone. Everyone immediately remembered that at the first tournament of the season in Adelaide, Djokovic was injured in his left hip, but few knew what kind of problems there were and what scale. The details were told by Novak’s coach Goran Ivanisevic at a press conference following the results of the tournament.

– I’m not saying 100 percent, but 97 percent of the players after such MRI results would immediately go to the judges’ room and withdraw from the tournament. But not Novak, he’s from another planet. His brain works differently. I have been working with him for four years now, but he still surprises me,” Ivanishevich said.

Photo: © RIA Novosti / Grigory Sysoev

Adjustment and turning point at the Australian Open

This examination was the day before the start of the Australian Open. Then there really was a point-blank question – either he participates, or he goes home. The Serb chose the first option and signed up for a huge number of procedures. On weekends between matches, he really could not train, because recovery took up most of the time. Ivanisevic talked about 77 procedures a day, only the road to and from them incredibly exhausted the Serbian tennis player.

Novak had to adapt his style to the new conditions and try to finish his matches as quickly as possible, because five-set fights could completely destroy his hip. In the second and third rounds, Djokovic had to constantly call doctors to the court to massage him and give him medicine. The situation in the confrontation with Grigor Dimitrov turned out to be especially difficult. Everything could have ended there, but Novak survived. Perhaps this was the turning point, after which the Serb was sure that he had to reach the end and take his 10th title in Australia.

Photo: © REUTERS/Jaimi Joy

Creepy details

But that’s not all. Australian Open director Craig Teely has shared the shocking details of Djokovic’s injury. Craig stated that he saw pictures of the athlete’s leg and there was a 3-centimeter tear in the hamstring.

There was a lot of controversy about whether he was really injured. It’s hard to believe that he can do what he did with this type of injury. He is an outstanding athlete, he coped with this problem very professionally. This guy, I’ve seen pictures, has a 3 cm torn hamstring. The doctors will tell you the truth. He is completely focused on everything he does, every minute of the day. What he eats, what he drinks, when he does it and how he does it. There are no physical or mental breakdowns in his actions. He went through a lot to win 10 Australian Opens. I don’t think anyone will ever be able to repeat this, ”Tili is quoted by SEN Sportsday.

After this, I want to ask myself, is Novak Djokovic even a person? At 35 years old, winning a Grand Slam tournament with a severe injury is something incredible. Now the Serb has time to rest and heal his wounds, as he will definitely miss the upcoming tournaments in the USA. But do not doubt that he will return and win again. Even with such a leg injury.