"Don't want to talk about my injury, then I'm taking away the credit Hyeon Chung deserves": When Novak Djokovic spoke on shock Australian Open 4R loss
Novak Djokovic graciously acknowledged Hyeon Chung for his remarkable win over him at the 2018 Australian Open, giving credit where it was due.
Djokovic struggled with an elbow injury during the 2017 season, which forced him to end his season early after the Wimbledon Championships in July. He made a return to the tour at the 2018 Australian Open, entering the tournament as the 14th seed after his prolonged absence.
The Serb, who was on the hunt for his seventh title at the Melbourne Slam, kicked off his campaign with a dominant 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Donald Young. He faced a tougher challenge against Gael Monfils, defeating the Frenchman 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. He progressed to the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Albert Ramos Vinolas.
Djokovic squared off against Hyeon Chung for a place in the quarterfinals. The then-World No. 58 stunned the Serb, claiming a 7-6(4), 7-5, 7-6(3) victory. The 14th seed appeared to be struggling during the match, requiring a medical timeout to receive treatment on his elbow.
Following his exit from the Melbourne Slam, Novak Djokovic disclosed that the pain in his elbow worsened during the latter part of the first set and persisted until the end of the match.
"Yeah, it's not great. Unfortunately, it's not great. Kind of end of the first set it started hurting more. So, yeah, I had to deal with it till the end of the match," he said in his post-match press conference.
The Serb responded to several more inquiries about his injury. He revealed plans to work with his team to reevaluate the injury, undergo new scans, and determine the best course of action.
He also shared that he had been hoping to get through the Major without being hindered by his elbow injury, pointing out that professional athletes have to acclimate to managing a certain degree of pain.
Djokovic then declared his desire to cease all discussions about his injury, expressing his belief that focusing on it would detract from Chung's well-deserved victory.
"I mean, yeah. I was hoping I can go through it. As I was mentioning before, as a professional athlete, you have to deal with pain at a certain level, a certain degree. You kind of get used that," he said.
"But, yeah, I don't want to talk about my injury tonight because then I'm taking away Chung's victory, the credit that he deserves," he added.
Novak Djokovic has won 10 Australian Open titles
Novak Djokovic won his maiden Grand Slam title and the first of his 10 Australian Open titles in 2008, defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(2) in the final. He clinched his second title at the Melbourne Slam in 2011, claiming a dominant 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 win over Andy Murray.
The Serb successfully defended his title in 2012, triumphing over Rafael Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 after a five-hour and 53-minute thriller, marking the longest Major final in history. He then clinched his third consecutive title in Melbourne in 2013, beating Murray 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-2.
Djokovic emerged victorious against Murray in the 2015 final as well, securing a 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-0 win over the Brit. He successfully defended his title in 2016, defeating Murray 6-1, 7-5, 7-6(3) in a rematch of the previous year's final.
The Serb clinched his record-breaking seventh Australian Open title in 2019, surpassing Roger Federer and Roy Emerson's tally of six, by beating Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
Subsequently, he defeated Dominic Thiem 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the 2020 summit clash. He triumphed over Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 in 2021, securing his third consecutive title at the Melbourne Slam.
Novak Djokovic won his 10th Australian Open title in 2023, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-6(5). The Serb was on the hunt for his 11th trophy in Melbourne and 25th Grand Slam title overall in 2024. However, he fell short of achieving his goal, losing to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals.