Novak Djokovic had a disappointing trip Down Under as he lost at the Australian Open and the United Cup.
Novak Djokovic will have an opportunity to prove his doubters wrong following a disappointing defeat at the Australian Open. The world No. 1 was ousted by Jannik Sinner in the semi-final, also losing to Alex de Minaur a few weeks earlier at the United Cup. Before this year, Djokovic hadn’t lost a match in Australia since 2018. It has prompted former player Paolo Bertolucci to question whether the 36-year-old’s “decline has begun”.
Novak Djokovic had a discouraging start to the season by his standards, suffering two defeats in two tournaments. His six-year unbeaten run in Australia came to an end at the hands of De Minaur at the United Cup before Sinner ended his 33-match streak at the Australian Open. Until this year, Djokovic had always gone on to lift the title in Melbourne when he reached the semi-finals.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion did face some setbacks during his trip Down Under, suffering from a wrist injury at the United Cup and an illness during the Australian Open. But his uncharacteristic losses left former pro Bertolucci wondering whether it was the start of a “decline” for Djokovic.
“He is a player who played badly in Australia, as in previous matches. We have not seen him in good condition,” the former world No. 12 told Fanpage.it. “Now, if this is due to a problem that can happen, because it happens that someone doesn’t get his preparation right, or if the decline has begun, we will find out in the American matches between Indian Wells and Miami.”
While Bertolucci knew that it could also be a one-off, he thought it was too tough to tell without watching Novak Djokovic compete and practice. “We will see if he has recovered or not,” he added.
“I have no idea because we would have to have seen the training sessions, understand if he stopped or not and with what intensity. Only those who know that within the team.” Novak Djokovic will soon have the chance to prove that he’s not at the beginning of a decline as he is expected to compete in Indian Wells and Miami.
The world No. 1 hasn’t played either event in five years. Indian Wells was cancelled in 2020 and Djokovic opted not to compete when it was postponed in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. He has missed the tournament for the last two years because the Covid vaccine was a requirement to enter the United States but he will be able to make his return next month.
With his rivals defending points from competing in Indian Wells and Miami last year, Djokovic will have an opportunity to pull ahead at the top of the rankings. The Serb has completed the ‘sunshine double’ – winning both tournaments back-to-back – on two occasions. Since he won both in 2016, he has not been beyond the fourth round at either event.
