Djokovic Targets Historic 100th ATP Title In Doha
Tennis legend Novak Djokovic has set his sights on winning a record 100th ATP title in Doha as he aims to recover fully from a leg injury that cut short his Australian Open dream in January.
Djokovic suffered a leg injury in his clash against Alexander Zverev in the semi-final of the tournament, which forced him to retire in the encounter.
The 37-year-old has confirmed that he is recovering fast, and he is ready to participate at the Qatar Open in Doha.
He said, “There’s no longer any muscle tear. The injury is almost 100 per cent healed and I’m ready to go for more victories.
“I have the green light from the medical team to train, to prepare.
“The Doha tournament is in seven days, and I’m sticking to my schedule.
“I’ve been chasing it (100th ATP title) for a while, since last October. But we’ll see; it’ll come when it comes.
“Thank God I managed to recover quickly. I’ve had a few more injuries recently compared to the first 15 years of my career.
“It probably comes with age, but my body is still serving me well and I still have the flame and desire.”
He blamed the leg injury for his inability to win the Australian Open title while hoping to build on his performance in the tournament.
Djokovic said, “I always give myself opportunities; I cannot deny it. I am optimistic every time I face someone, and that’s what has led me to great heights in sports. With the type of game I showed in the victory in the quarterfinals against Alcaraz, I believe I would have had a great chance against Zverev in the semifinals and, if I had stayed healthy, also against Sinner.
“It’s a shame to have to deal with these scenarios, with what could have happened. The level of tennis I reached in Australia is promising for the rest of the season.”
Djokovic also opened up on why he is still playing tennis after becoming the last man standing in his generation.
He said, “Mainly because I love this sport, I love sports. Besides, I believe tennis is what makes me grow the most as a person. As strange as it may sound, during a match, you go through a million emotions: some are precious, and some are the worst.
“You go through doubts, criticism, ecstasy, anger, frustration, pleasure… in those hours, sometimes I am ashamed of what I can do and how I behave, and on the other hand, I am proud that I can go through all that in the most human and sportsmanlike way possible, shaking hands with the opponent at the end of the match regardless of whether I lost or won.
“I think those are the values of sports, the reason why people identify with the players, especially in an individual sport, where you first have to win yourself before beating the opponent.”
Djokovic will be hoping to become only the third man to win 100 singles titles on the tour in the professional era after Jimmy Connors (109) and former rival Roger Federer (103)
Djokovic Targets Historic 100th ATP Title In Doha is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
