Just a week after speculation suggested that Novak Djokovic might face an extended break due to injury, new reports indicate that the tennis icon could make a swift return in just a few weeks.
The 37-year-old was visibly struggling with an injury during his Australian Open quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz, receiving medical attention and returning to the court with a heavily taped left thigh. Despite the discomfort, Djokovic fought through and won the match in four sets.
Initially, the injury seemed to be manageable, but it quickly became clear that it was more severe than first thought. As a precaution, Djokovic decided to skip training ahead of his semi-final match to avoid aggravating the injury further. While some skeptics suggested the injury might have been part of a mind game strategy, the Serbian’s injury woes became undeniable when he was forced to retire after just one set against Alexander Zverev.
In a bid to silence the doubters, Djokovic took to social media to reveal the results of an MRI scan, which confirmed a hamstring tear. “Thought I’d leave this here for all the sports injury ‘experts’ out there,” he wrote, offering proof of the injury’s severity.
Initially, many predicted that Djokovic would be sidelined for months and would not return until the clay-court season in April. However, a new report from Serbian outlet Sportal suggests that the 24-time Grand Slam champion could be back on the court in just two weeks.
According to Sportal, Djokovic has been undergoing daily treatments and therapies, allowing him to recover quickly from the injury. “We will see him on the Tour in two weeks, that is, at the tournament in Doha that he registered earlier,” the report confirmed. The Serbian player has reportedly been given the green light from his doctors to begin light training soon, with plans to compete in the Qatar Open, set to take place from February 17-22.
What’s more encouraging for Djokovic fans is that this hamstring injury is not as severe as the one he suffered during his 2023 Australian Open title run. Despite that injury, he made an astonishingly fast recovery and was back in action at the Dubai Tennis Championships within just a couple of weeks.
The Sportal report goes on to explain that full recovery from such an injury typically takes between four to eight weeks, depending on the severity. However, as has often been the case with Djokovic, his recovery time is significantly shorter than expected. “Novak is a special story,” the report notes, highlighting the Serbian’s ability to defy conventional recovery timelines.
Djokovic remains on the entry list for the Qatar Open, where he is set to face top competitors, including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Daniil Medvedev. With his speedy recovery, the world will be watching to see if he can continue his dominant form or if the injury will have lingering effects on his game. Either way, Djokovic’s return is eagerly anticipated.