The big challenge between Novak Djokovic And Britain’s Andy Murray It was not held at the Masters 1000 in Madrid. The Scotsman fell ill and announced his loss a few hours before the match that was supposed to open the program at the Manolo Santana Stadium.
Murray’s sudden retirement was definitely not good news for Djokovic, who needs to play many matches before Roland Garros. The Serbian champion, prior to the Mutua Madrid Open, only took to the field in tournaments in Dubai and Belgrade and in the Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo, where he lost on his debut against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Upon learning of Murray’s loss, Djokovic immediately booked an additional training session of about an hour and a half. His goal is to put important minutes into his legs to improve his physical condition.
Djokovic, from Murray’s retirement to his experience in Australia
“Andy is a great champion, a player I respect and admire a lot. We have played some great matches over the years.
We met on all surfaces and played finals in all Grand Slam tournaments, if I remember it correctly. With Rafael Nadal And Roger FedererAndy is one of the biggest competitors I’ve ever faced. The fact that we’re the same age makes this rivalry even more special.
We grew up together. I’m sorry I couldn’t play today. It’s not good for the Madrid championship, and for our sport in general. Everyone has been waiting for this match, and I hope we will have other opportunities soon,” Djokovic explained to the Tennis Channel microphones.
What have you learned in the past few months? Be patient and have faith in the way. I didn’t play many tournaments and in Dubai and Monte Carlo I wasn’t at my best. I didn’t hit the ball cleanly. Physically I didn’t have much in the tank.
This situation bothered me. I was looking forward to playing after several months, but I couldn’t give my all. I was expecting it a bit, because tennis is a very expensive sport. A sport in which you have to play more games to feel comfortable.
So I learned to be more patient with myself. I think the situation in Belgrade is improving day by day, not so much from a physical point of view but from a game point of view. Here I feel good. I had enough time to prepare myself well, focus on sports work and improve my form.
I am ready to play every match. After the separation of Australia, I may have underestimated the emotional impact. Then I realized that everything that happened in Australia is still inside me. I tried to move on and turn everything into positive energy.
It’s a situation I’ve never encountered in my life. It’s hard to explain the feelings I felt, and I still had to come to terms with what happened. It took me a while to move on, and the public support in Serbia has helped me a lot.
I hope to get the mental balance I need from now on.” Image source: Getty Images
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