Novak Djokovic revealed that the ongoing physical battle he faces to remain competitive at the highest level after overcoming Cameron Norrie at the US Open.
The Serb had a medical time out at 5-4 in the first set with a back issue, and received treatment again early on in the second set.
Following a lengthy career competing at the highest level, the 38-year-old highlighted how recovery between matches has become more important than ever before.
“Well, honestly, I am concerned. You know, nowadays [I am] more concerned than I have ever been,” said Djokovic in an interview with ESPN.
“Even though I really am meticulous with care for my body and I put in a lot of hours on and off the court to make sure that my body is fit and recovered well.
“But you know, age is… You can’t fight it. So, things are different. I have to obviously adjust myself the way I approach things in training.”
Djokovic has not won a Grand Slam since winning at Flushing Meadows two years ago, but did win a coveted first Olympic gold medal at Paris last year.
The Serb is doing everything possible to remain competitive in an era that has seen Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner rise to prominence, and he explained how he is going the extra mile to compete with younger players on the tour.
“Sometimes I don’t train between matches because with my team, when I have this discussion, we think that the long term is better and that recovery is more important than hitting some balls in the court.
“So maybe that’s going to be the case tomorrow. We have to still discuss that and just focus on recovery and get ready for the next one.
“Actually, probably even more when I was younger; it’s just in order to keep up with the youngsters, I just have to put in an extra few hours every day.”
“Whether it’s table work, whether it’s recovery from using different wellness machines or good sleep, nutrition, obviously all of it, all of it comes into the equation and all of it matters when you go deeper in the tournament.
“The young guys, they come in fresh, and I come with a half tank empty in a sense, and so I’m going to try to change that for this tournament. I don’t know if that’s going to be possible.
“Obviously, it’s very unpredictable how the body is going to respond. But one thing is for sure, I’m always going to give my very best the last drop of energy to make sure that I go as deep as I possibly can.”
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