AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 13, 2021

Novak Djokovic

Flash Interview

N. DJOKOVIC/T. Fritz

7-6, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2

(Statement from recorded audio.)

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, definitely one of the strangest matches that I was ever part of. A lot of different things were happening. Obviously crowd leaving the stadium midway through the match, something I have not experienced before.

Everything was working fine for me, and then beginning of the third set I made this quick move on the return going to the forehand, rotating there, and I just felt a tear, I felt something happen.

Went out for medical timeout when I was tested, evaluated. I have huge pain, I took the highest dose of anti-inflammatories possible.

It did kick in end of fourth, beginning of the fifth when I actually started to move and I could actually start to rally with him from back of the court. Until that moment, it was only serve for me and kind of hoping and praying that I'm gonna get an easy ball after my serve so I could just go for it.

That's what I've done. I honestly don't know how I won this match. I'm very proud, at the same time sad and worried, because it's definitely something serious happening with my injury.

Yeah, I don't have much time to recover for the next match. Definitely not training tomorrow. I'm coming here to evaluate further more with doctor and medical team, and do some ultrasound and understand what's really going on so that the doctor and medical team can prescribe best possible treatment and the only possible treatment that I could even have the slightest chance to go out in less than 48 hours.