Novak Djokovic confirmed that he is back to being fully healthy following his return to action in Doha.
On Monday, the Serb played his first match since retiring injured against Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open semifinal.
The world No. 7 started his comeback by playing doubles with Fernando Verdasco as he and the Spaniard crushed Alexander Bublik and Karen Khachanov 6-1 6-1 in their Doha doubles opener.
Novak Djokovic and Fernando Verdasco© Qatar Tennis/Instagram – Fair Use
Following the match, Djokovic confirmed that his muscle tear injury was a thing of the past.
“I haven’t felt any pain, so I’ve been feeling great training the past 10 days, and past three days here in Doha,” the 37-year-old said.
“Today’s doubles match, obviously it’s different from singles, but it’s still a match, and you do have very dynamic movements that you have to do on the court, where you kind of test your body and how it feels.
“It felt great, so I have no concern.”
Djokovic on how he was doing while sidelined
Shortly after retiring at the Australian Open, the record 24-time Grand Slam champion also announced his withdrawal from Serbia’s Davis Cup tie against Denmark.
And after doing so, the former world No. 1 put emphasis on recovering from his muscle injury that derailed his chances of winning his 25th Grand Slam at this year’s Australian Open.
“I obviously focused mostly on my recovery of the muscle tear that I had. I recovered very well, then I started to train,” Djokovic said.
In the Doha singles, the Serb faces Matteo Berrettini in his first match, in what will be a rematch of the 2021 Wimbledon final.
When it comes to doubles, the 37-year-old and Verdasco are due to meet reigning Wimbledon champions Haari Heliovaara and Henry Patten in the quarterfinal.
After Doha, the Serb will go to the United States for the Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami.
Tennis World USA