"Not a big deal" - Novak Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic brushes off United Cup injury concerns, says Serb will be 'ready' for Australian Open
Novak Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic has allayed concerns about the Serb's wrist injury after his loss to Alex de Minaur in the United Cup on Tuesday, January 2.
A day after struggling with a wrist injury in his win over Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic, the 36-year-old struggled with the same against de Minaur. A late break in the first set enabled the Australian to draw first blood.
At 3-3 in the second, Novak Djokovic - who was clearly not at 100% - dropped serve again. Although he saved three match points, he couldn't prevent de Minaur from crossing the finish line.
Ivanisevic, though, said that the injury is not a serious one (as per Serbian news outlet B92) and that he will be ready for the Australian Open, which starts on January 14:
"There is a problem with Novak's wrist, but the most important thing is that he will be ready in 10 or 11 days. We will take a few days of rest and then start training slowly. It is not a big deal.
"We came here to play a few games, and he did. He played three good matches. Maybe yesterday wasn't the case. It wasn't a good match from a results point of view, but it was definitely good preparation, and that's what he needed."
The loss snapped the Serb's 43-match winning streak Down Under. His previous loss came against Hyeon Chung in the fourth round of the 2018 Australian Open.
"It's extremely special" - Alex de Minaur thrilled with Novak Djokovic win
Alex de Minaur was undoubtedly pleased with his first win over Novak Djokovic, who lost for the first time in three matches in 2024.
Alex de Minaur, who lost to Cameron Norrie in a third-set tiebreak before beating Taylor Fritz in three sets, registered a big scalp by downing Djokovic. With Alja Tomlanovic beating Natalia Stevanovic in straight sets, Australia gained an unassailable 2-0 lead to romp into the semifinals.
In his on-court interview after beating the Serb, the World No. 12 said:
“It’s extremely special. Novak’s an unbelievable competitor, and what he’s done for the sport is pretty special. It feels surreal. It feels amazing, and I’m happy to do it here in Perth and in Australia.
“Ultimately, when you go against Novak, you’ve just got to go out there, try and enjoy, back yourself, and no matter what, keep fighting till the end. Today was my day. I’m happy I was able to get the win. This one definitely means a lot.”
Novak Djokovic next heads to the Australian Open, where he will look to win a record-extending 25th Grand Slam singles title.