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Novak DJokovic
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Novak Djokovic: 22 Stats For His 22nd Grand Slam Title

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From winning streaks to perfect finals records to the biggest jump to No. 1 ever, Nole just keeps piling on the numbers.

Novak Djokovic made another flawless start to a season in Australia this year, not just winning the lead-up event in Adelaide, but going on to win his 10th Australian Open title—and 22nd Grand Slam title—with a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.

Here are 22 things Djokovic achieved Down Under this year:

He tied the all-time men’s record for most Grand Slam titles. Rafael Nadal also has 22.

He extended his all-time men’s record for most Australian Open titles. Roy Emerson and Roger Federer are tied for the next-most with six each.

He’s now one of only three players in tennis history to have won a single Grand Slam event 10 times or more. Margaret Court won 11 Australian Opens and Nadal has 14 French Opens.

He’s now 10-0 in his career in Australian Open finals. He’s actually 10-0 in his career in Australian Open semifinals, too—so he’s a terrifying 20-0 at the event once he gets past the quarterfinals.

He’s one of only two players in tennis history with a 10-0 record or better in finals at a specific major. Nadal is 14-0 in French Open finals. Court lost her eighth Australian Open final (she finished 11-1).

He broke the record for longest men’s winning streak at the Australian Open in the Open Era. He’s now won 28 matches in a row at the event, surpassing Andre Agassi’s 26 in a row from 2000 to 2004.

He’s won 10 of his last 12 Grand Slam finals, and 14 of his last 17. Midway through the 2015 season, he was 8-8 in his career in Grand Slam finals—since then he’s a scary 14-3.

He passed Nadal for fourth-most tour-level titles for a man in the Open Era. The top five is now Jimmy Connors (109), Federer (103), Ivan Lendl (94), Djokovic (93) and Nadal (92).

Novak Djokovic
Djokovic now has 89 career wins at the Australian Open, the most at any major. He has 85 at the French Open, 86 at Wimbledon and 81 at the US Open.

He’s now won 47 of his last 50 tour-level matches. In a stretch that began with his run to the title in Rome last May, his only three losses have come to Nadal (quarterfinals of Roland Garros), Felix Auger-Aliassime (Laver Cup, which is officially counted as tour-level) and Holger Rune (final of Paris).

He’s now won six of the last seven tournaments he’s played. Starting with his run to the title at Wimbledon, the only tournament he’s played but hasn’t won was the Masters 1000 event in Paris, where he fell to Rune in the final, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5—and he was up 3-1 in the third set of that one.

He’s not only won his last 17 matches in a row, but the only three sets he’s lost in that run have been close tie-breaks. They came in his 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2) win over Medvedev in the round robin of the ATP Finals, his 6-7 (8), 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Korda in the Adelaide final and his 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-0 win over Enzo Couacaud in the second round of the Australian Open.

He’s now won at least two tour-level titles every year since 2006. That’s 18 years in a row now.

He tied Serena Williams’ all-time men’s and women’s record for most career Grand Slam titles on hard courts. They both have 13—Serena won seven Australian Opens and six US Opens, while Djokovic has won 10 Australian Opens and three US Opens.

And finally, he also tied Serena’s Open Era record for most Grand Slam titles won after turning 30. He already had the men’s record with nine, but with his 10th now, he ties the men’s and women’s Open Era record.

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Djokovic is no 'villain
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Djokovic is no ‘villain’ – took me 10 years to get over cheat storm: Azarenka

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MELBOURNE: Victoria Azarenka said it took her 10 years to get over being accused of cheating when she last won the Australian Open, and defended Novak Djokovic who has been accused of dramatising his injury during this year’s tournament.
The 33-year-old two-time champion rolled back the years at Melbourne Park on Tuesday night, dismissing Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-1 to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2013.
During her run to the second of her back-to-back Australian titles that year, Azarenka took a nine-minute medical timeout in the semi-final against Sloane Stephens after failing to convert five match points.
Azarenka went on to turn the match around and eventually lift the trophy, but she had to defend herself from accusations of gamesmanship and cheating.

The Belarusian revealed later she had suffered a panic attack on court and couldn’t breathe, which caused the long delay.
Azarenka said Tuesday she had only just learned how to cope with self-doubts and anxiety during matches, which can be overwhelming, and only recently got over that “worst” moment of her career.
“It was one of the worst things I have ever gone through in my professional career, the way I was treated after that moment, the way I had to explain myself until 10.30pm at night because people didn’t want to believe me,” she told reporters.
“I actually can resonate what Novak said the other day,” she added, referring to Djokovic hitting back about comments on his hamstring injury.
The 35-year-old Serb looked hampered and in pain in his early matches, with a heavily bandaged leg.
But the nine-time champion seemed unhindered as he raced past Australia’s Alex De Minaur and into the quarter-finals on Monday for the loss of just five games.
Djokovic told Serbian media he was fed up with suggestions that he might have faked the injury — and that such slurs only motivated him more.
Djokovic, who plays Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev in the men’s singles quarter-finals on Wednesday, said this week he was an “easy target to be the villain”.
“There is sometimes, like, I don’t know, incredible desire for a villain and a hero story that has to be written,” said Azarenka.
“But we’re not villains, we’re not heroes, we are regular human beings that go through so many, many things,” added the 24th seed after reaching her first semi-final at the Australian Open since 2013, where she will face Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
She said the “assumptions and judgements” meant nothing “because nobody’s there to see the full story”.
“It didn’t matter how many times I said my story, it did not cut through,” Azarenka said.
“Actually it’s funny that you’re saying that because I was thinking about it. It took me 10 years to get over it. I finally am over that.”

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Novak Djokovic’s father
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Novak Djokovic’s father seen posing with flagbearing supporters of Vladimir Putin at Australian Open

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Srdjan Djokovic, the father of Novak Djokovic, has been pictured posing for photos with Vladimir Putin supporters at the Australian Open on Wednesday night.

Four men had been evicted from Melbourne Park by Victoria police on Wednesday night after chanting pro-Russian and pro-Vladimir Putin slogans on the steps of Rod Laver Arena while brandishing numerous Russian flags, including one with the face of Putin on it.
Before the eviction of the four pro-Kremlin supporters, Srdjan Djokovic met fans outside Rod Laver Arena and took photos with a spectator wearing a “Z” symbol shirt while brandishing a Russian flag with a large picture of Putin’s face.

In the video, posted by Aussie Cossack on to YouTube, Srdjan Djokovic appears to say “zivjeli Russiyani” or “long live Russian citizens” before he leaves. “Zivjeli” means “cheers” in Serbian and Croatian, used during a toast, and Russiyani means citizens of Russia.

Before the match, Simeon Boikov, who runs the Aussie Cossack YouTube channel, called on other pro-Putin supporters to attend the event in order to “strike back” at Tennis Australia.

It came after TA banned Russian flags at the Australian Open after an incident during the first-round match between Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl and Russian Kamilla Rakhimova, when spectators showed up with Russian flags.

Boikov has been accused of assaulting a 76-year-old man at a Sydney rally in support of Ukraine, and this week an arrest warrant was issued against him. He is currently seeking refuge in the Russian consulate.

“Today Djokovic plays Andrey Rublev. I hereby appeal or instruct everyone to get down there. I can confirm that we’ve got some surprises,” Boikov said.

“Tennis Australia, brace yourselves … for fans, for people who love tennis, if you know what I mean. I’ve got to word it that way or they’ll get me for incitement. We’ve got a lot of serious fans in Melbourne heading down.

“This is about honour and dignity now. This is an attack on honour and dignity. This has got nothing to do with the war. This is an attack on freedom in Australia. This is discrimination. This is racism. It’s illegal to ban people’s flags.

“The Russian empire has had its flag banned. Well, guess what, Tennis Australia? Good luck when the empire strikes back.”

On Thursday, Victoria police confirmed that four men had been evicted from Melbourne Park.

“Police spoke to four men after a Russian flag was produced on the steps at the tennis about 10.20pm on Wednesday 25 January. All four men were evicted,” said Victoria police in a statement.

Following the release of the Djokovic photos, Tennis Australia warned players and their teams against interacting with prohibited flags.

“A small group of people displayed inappropriate flags and symbols and threatened security guards following a match on Wednesday night and were evicted. One patron is now assisting police with unrelated matters,” said Tennis Australia in a statement.

“Players and their teams have been briefed and reminded of the event policy regarding flags and symbols and to avoid any situation that has the potential to disrupt. We continue to work closely with event security and law enforcement agencies.”

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Roger Federer at Wimbledon
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‘She knows’: Detail in Roger Federer’s wife’s outfit sends internet into meltdown

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Roger Federer is living his best life at Paris Fashion Week and a detail in his one wife’s outfits has sent tennis fans into meltdown.
Goat, but make it fashion.

That must have been the brief for Roger Federer’s wife Mirka after she sent the internet into meltdown with an outfit that can only be described as iconic.

While the eyes of the tennis world are on the Australian Open, Federer is enjoying the retired life, making an appearance on the other side of the world at Paris Fashion Week.
Stepping out in Paris, the Swiss maestro looked sharp as usual in a navy turtleneck and two-piece suit combination.

But it was his wife who Mirka stole the show, wearing a sweater vest with an unmistakeable blue goat emblazoned on the front, worn over the top of a patterned dress.

Sure enough, tennis fans immediately lost their collective minds at what many suspected was a deliberate choice by Mirka to acknowledge to her husband as the GOAT — the greatest tennis player of all time.


Others have pointed out the vest may have simply been a nod to Mirka’s star sign Aries’ animal, which is a ram.

The Federers were also spotted rubbing shoulders with longtime Vogue magazine editor Anna Wintour and Australian film director Baz Luhrmann.

Federer retired from professional tennis last year after a glittering career that saw him with 20 grand slam titles.
Rafael Nadal leads all comers with 22 grand slams and he could well be equalled by Novak Djokovic if the Serbian wins his 10th Australian Open crown this weekend.

But despite being third on the leaderboard, Federer is still viewed by many as the greatest tennis player to every play the game.
The nine-time Australian open winner extended his unbeaten streak Down Under to 26 games, moving clear of Andre Agassi’s all-time record.

His dominating win puts the remainder of the draw on notice as he moves into his 44th career Grand Slam semi-final, just behind Federer’s record of 46 semi-finals.

Djokovic reflected on the first time he faced Federer in a grand slam semi-final.

“I think it was the US Open back in 2007,” he recalled.

“It seems quite a long time ago. But yeah. I was fortunate to win that semi-finals. You know, in the finals, I lost to Roger.”

Roger Federer at Wimbledon
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer at Wimbledon last year. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP)

The Rod Laver Arena crowd cheered at the mention of Federer’s name, and Djokovic urged them on.

“Lets give a big round of applause to Roger guys, let’s go.

“He deserves it. I had some great battles with Roger over the years that’s for sure.

“Tennis misses him for sure. I’ve seen him dressing up very sharply for fashion week, I saw him the other day (on social media).”

Jim Courier asked Djokovic if he’d seen a video of Federer skiing with his family.

“I’ve seen him skiing. I want to challenge him for a little skiing race in few years time,” he said.

“He is enjoying life for sure. It’s nice to see that. Obviously, for tennis, he has been one of the most important players ever to play the game. So, you know, big regards to him and his family.”

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Serena Williams’ meaningful diamond necklace is just what we want for Valentine’s Day

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Serena’s GOAT necklace is encrusted with 115 diamonds – and can be yours for $199
If you’re looking for Valentine’s Day jewelry, Serena Williams just gave us the ultimate inspiration! The tennis icon showed off her new diamond necklace on Instagram – and we love the meaningful message.

With Valentine’s Day and Galentine’s day coming up, we’re either looking for the perfect gift for someone special (even if it’s ourselves!) or dropping major hints on what’s on our own February 14 wish list.

And when it comes to sending the empowering message that you, your BFF or better half is the G.O.A.T. – the greatest of all time, that is – we can’t think of a better gift than Serena’s necklace.

Serena williams goat

The limited edition necklace, which is from her Serena Williams Jewelry collection, features a sterling silver ID pendant encrusted with 115 ethically-sourced diamonds, spelling out ‘G.O.A.T’.

Serena williams goat
‘QUEEN’ diamond necklace, $199, Serena Williams Jewelry

And if being the GOAT isn’t your style, the same style is also available with a ‘QUEEN pendant, too.

Serena williams goat

LOVED gold and diamond necklace, $499, Serena Williams Jewelry

Serena shared a few snaps of herself rocking the sparkling jewelry on her Instagram, and her followers immediately reacted.

“I want,” said one commenter, following it up with a series of heart emojis. “Omg, I need!” raved another follower.
Serena williams goat

‘Unstoppable’ silver toggle necklace with diamond, $99, Serena Williams Jewelry

Serena’s jewelry line features some truly fabulous (and equally uplifting) necklaces that send a message, from the QUEEN Id necklace to a gold and diamond necklace that reads ‘Loved’ and the best-selling ‘Unstoppable’ toggle necklace ($99) in sterling silver.

There’s a gift idea for every Valentine…

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Andy Murray shares
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Andy Murray shares “reality check” dropping daughter off at school after Australian Open

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Andy Murray has been reunited with his family after his physically draining Australian Open campaign, but it seems not everyone was delighted to see him back home

One of Andy Murray’s young children has given him a “tough” reality check following the Scot’s incredible efforts at the Australian Open.

The three-time Grand Slam champion exited in the third round at Melbourne, but that stat doesn’t even begin to tell the story of his marathon showings Down Under. In his first round match, Murray rolled back the years by going for more than five hours to beat 13th seed Matteo Berrettini in five sets.

But that was nothing compared to his second round win, which signified the longest match of the 35-year-old’s distinguished career. Trailing by two sets to home favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis, Murray launched an amazing comeback, with the clock running past 4am before he eventually prevailed in five hours 45 minutes.

His resistance was finally ended by Roberto Bautista Agut, but a proud Murray was able to jokingly mock the doctor who wrote off his career amid his career saving hip surgery in 2019. However, although mum Judy was out to support him in Australia, being reunited with the rest of his family after returning to the UK hasn’t proved quite so joyous.

On Wednesday, he tweeted: “School drop off this morning. My 6 year old ‘daddy don’t give me a kiss and a cuddle anymore when you drop me…just stay in the car’. (crying emoji) Tough game. Back to reality!”

High-profile father figures appeared to associate with Murray’s plight, with Piers Morgan tweeting three laughing emojis with the caption: “Firm handshake time.” Snooker world champion Neil Robertson replied: “The worst part is when they just call you DAD.”

Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand also responded with three laughing emojis summing up exactly what he thought.

Murray shares three daughters and a son with wife Kim. The couple welcomed Sophia in 2016, Edie in 2018, their son Teddy in 2019, and another girl in June 2022 whose name has not been revealed.

At what point the school run becomes a daily chore for Murray is not yet clear, with his latest renaissance seemingly delaying any prospect of an immediate retirement. His efforts down under have propelled him up to No 62 in the world, still some way off where he needs to be in order to be seeded in Slams.

And after his tournament exit, he outlined the need to maintain his current levels throughout 2023 : “Obviously in the last few years some of the draws at the Slams have been very tricky,” he said.

“I was quite clear that it was something I wanted to do last year to try and get into the seeded spots. It didn’t quite happen. If I was playing at this level last year, I probably wouldn’t be ranked fifty or sixty in the world.”

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Roger Federer tui
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Roger Federer ‘vulnerable’ as he strips to underwear in new documentary on tennis icon

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Roger Federer embarked on a secret project during his injury hiatus before retiring.
One of Roger Federer’s secret projects during his post-knee surgery break has been revealed in a new documentary. An anonymous portrait of the retired star was showcased in a five-month exhibition without anyone realising it was Federer. The 41-year-old strips down to his boxers for the unique “flying” sculpture as part of Ugo Rondinone’s “burn shine fly” installation at the 2022 Venice Biennale and shares the “vulnerable” feeling of being involved in the piece.

Portrait of a Champion shows how the 20-time Major champion was transformed into a flying figure – ‘cloud six’ – for renowned Swiss artist Rondinone’s exhibition in the Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista church while attempting to stage a comeback from his ongoing knee injury.

It shows the retired former world No 1 in a way fans have likely never seen him before, as he strips down to his boxers and is suspended in a trapeze for Rondinone to be able to figure out the pose and dimensions for his sculpture. “Ugo said okay let’s hold on a second here, let’s really explain to Roger what we’re getting into,” Federer says in the documentary, sharing his experience of the process.

The Swiss star dons a swimming cap-style hat as he hands in the air while cameras whizz around his body to get a full scale mock-up of what the sculpture will look like, and he later has different parts of his body made into a cast to work from. “Of course you feel vulnerable,” he says afterwards.

“Okay I’m used to it when I’m on a tennis court but then I’ve got my racket which is like my hammer from Thor and when someone films you then, it’s no problem. But in your underwear, in a harness, hanging there it’s obviously a very different situation and that’s what I think was so unusual for me and even if it’s ridiculous you still think well it’s part of the creative process, this is what it’s going to take to make it a good end result.”

In the documentary, Rondinone also reveals that he initially said no when asked to commission a portrait of Federer. “It came as a surprise because I don’t do commissions, once I do a commission I go blank and I feel I have to fulfil something that’s not really mine,” he said, before explaining that incorporating the 103-time title winner in his existing work was the “elegant solution.”

He added: “I said why not include him as an anonymous figure in this project, not as Roger Federer. I will not promote him, I would like him to be one of seven neutral bodies who fly.” Federer later goes to see the installation at the 2022 Venice Biennale and admits that the anonymity relates to his life away from the tennis court.

“What I like about the anonymous part about it is it’s in my life as well. I like it sometimes when it’s anonymous as well, people don’t know where I am, don’t know what I’m doing,” he explained. But Federer admitted that he still enjoyed getting to go out and play tennis – something he didn’t realise he wouldn’t do again at the time of filming, continuing: “But then it’s nice to get back into the limelight, it’s nice to walk out on Centre Court, it’s nice to be famous sometimes or known or have the microphone for that matter.”

Looking back on the project, he adds: “Now having gone through it with Ugo and just seen it reflecting in his project at the end, the body’s flying and for him it was very much the end of the project and I felt a big sense of relief as well for him.” The documentary then reveals that during the entirety of the exhibition from April to September 2022, no one realised that cloud number six was a portrait of Roger Federer.

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Rafael Nadal tends to put things
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Rafael Nadal and the definition of sacrifice

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PRESS CONFERENCE: Rafael Nadal’s remarks after his Australian Open

The “sacrifice” word is not like this. When you do things that you like to do, at the end of the day, it’s not a sacrifice. You are doing the things that you want to do.

When it comes to fatuous cliches about tennis, it’s pretty hard to beat the one about the great “sacrifice” players make in order to achieve their goals. Thankfully, there are people like Nadal, that clear-eyed rationalist, to keep us wary of such melodramatic and ill-considered tropes.

Ironically, Nadal’s serial struggle with injuries at this late stage of his career almost warrants use of the “S” word. After all, it’s hard to imagine that Nadal enjoys being locked into a seemingly endless cycle of injury, recovery and rehab. But the S-word is much more often used in reference to decisions made by parents in order to advance the careers of their offspring, or the things that promising young players usually have to forgo: the scholastic environment, close school friends, team sports, proms—even an education.

Rafael Nadal

As Novak Djokovic said a few years ago at Wimbledon, referring to an immersion in tennis that precluded a conventional education: “[School is] probably the only part I would probably say I. . . don’t regret. . . but I just miss, probably more than anything else.”

Parents who are forced to uproot, quit jobs, or otherwise apply their energies to helping their talented children become tennis stars—think Yuri Sharapov, father of Maria Sharapova—are a unique breed. They use tennis to lift themselves and their kin to a higher station in life. There’s nothing wrong in that, but to call it a “sacrifice” leads to the question, “What exactly are they giving up?”

Many of those parents who rolled the dice with dreams of their kids making it big overlap with the infamous group we’ll call “pushy tennis parents.” But for all the well-founded concern about the sacrifices imposed on their offspring by the PTPs, one of tennis’ great secrets is that the success rate of the PTPs is very low. Successful prodigies make it less because they are pushed than because from the earliest age they are pushing. They are little monsters who can’t get enough of the game, and their parents figure out how to manage that appetite to everyone’s benefit.

It’s not like I never partied. It’s not like I hated my life on tour in the beginning. It’s definitely a bit of a more unusual route to adulthood.

I had a conversation with Karolj Seles on the day his daughter Monica broke through in 1990 as a 16-year old French Open champion. He spoke no English, but told me in his native Hungarian that he and his family were overwhelmed by everything they were going through. Trying to get Monica to take it slow was like trying to hold a tiger by the tail. He also feared that her intensity and ambition might be harmful to her long-term emotional well-being. But they were locked in by her ambition and commanding talent.

The S-word is most often employed to challenge the way developing players are denied a “normal” life. But what exactly is “normal,” anyway—and if it’s synonymous with “conventional,” then who needs it? Certainly not the millions of kids who start rock-and-roll bands, or fall in love with them. Henry David Thoreau observed, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” I don’t believe it was an endorsement.

Truth is, the bulk of successful tennis pros have no regrets, apart from caveats like the above one issued by Djokovic. At Wimbledon in 2019, Roger Federer allowed that leaving home at age 14, to train and live for two years among French speakers while living with different families, was rough. But he got through it.

“In the beginning [of a career], you get a lot of questions about, ‘Do you feel like you regret so many things because you left school at 16, went on the road, couldn’t party like a rock star.’ I don’t know,” he said. “I’m like, It’s not like I never partied. It’s not like I hated my life on tour in the beginning. It’s definitely a bit of a more unusual route to adulthood.”

Most of the top stars share Federer’s attitude. Alexander Zverev, who has more than made up for any parties he may have missed at 16, said at the 2021 Madrid Masters: “I think you miss out on the normal teenage life. . . But I was always very determined. I knew what I wanted. I knew that I had to be disciplined and work extremely hard for the things that I wanted to achieve, because if you want to have both, you’re not gonna be as successful.”

Zverev’s point is that success is transactional. You aren’t really sacrificing things as much as agreeing to certain trade-offs. Most players have long made their peace with the process by the time they become stars because, like Nadal, they love what they do. The ones that don’t feel that affection—think Nick Kyrgios, currently—can end up struggling with the trade-offs and resenting the sport, convinced that it asks too much of them.

But it always comes back to the same thing: Given a choice between experiencing enormous success at a young age and leading a “normal” life, who is going to choose Door B?

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Australian Open: Novak Djokovic has hit back at critics accusing him of ‘faking injury in Melbourne

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Novak Djokovic has hit back at critics accusing him of “faking” his hamstring injury, saying: “Only my injuries are questioned. When some other players are injured, then they are the victims, but when it is me, I am faking it. I don’t feel that I need to prove anything to anyone”

Novak Djokovic has hit back at critics accusing him of “faking” his hamstring injury by saying it adds to his motivation to win a record-extending 10th Australian Open title.

The condition of the Serbian’s left leg has been a major talking point at Melbourne Park after he arrived at the tournament nursing the injury and then took medical timeouts in his second and third-round matches.

But he still won both and then dispatched Alex De Minaur with a ruthless display in the fourth round on Monday, losing only five games.

https://www.instagram.com/australianopen/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=6e22f1cc-0316-4edc-bf30-1b0d179faad8
Speaking to Serbian media in quotes reported by tennismajors.com, Djokovic hit back at those questioning whether he is really injured, saying: “I leave the doubting to those people – let them doubt.

“Only my injuries are questioned. When some other players are injured, then they are the victims, but when it is me, I am faking it. It is very interesting. I don’t feel that I need to prove anything to anyone.

“I have got the MRI, ultrasound and everything else, both from two years ago and now. Whether I will publish that in my documentary or on social media depends on how I feel. Maybe I will do I it, maybe I won’t.

“I am not really interested at this point what people are thinking and saying. It is fun, it is interesting to see how the narrative surrounding me continues, (a) narrative that is different compared to other players that have been going through similar situations.

“But I am used to it and it just gives me extra strength and motivation. So I thank them for that.”

Two years ago Djokovic suffered an abdominal muscle injury during his third-round match against Taylor Fritz before going on to win the title. And there have been other matches, notably the 2015 final here against Andy Murray, where he appeared to be struggling badly only to recover and win.

But he has not always managed to play through injuries. He retired during the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2017 because of an elbow problem, while at the US Open in 2019 a shoulder issue led to him pulling the plug in the fourth round.

His last defeat in Australia, in the fourth round against Chung Hyeon in 2018, meanwhile, prompted him to undergo elbow surgery.

The reaction could be contrasted to that given to Rafael Nadal, who ended the French Open last year on crutches because of a chronic foot problem and was widely praised for his efforts in winning another title.

Novak Djokovic

Asked about Djokovic’s injury, his opponent De Minaur said: “I think everyone’s kind of seeing what’s been happening over the couple weeks. It’s the only thing everyone’s been talking about.

“I was out there on court against him. Either I’m not a good enough tennis player to expose that, or it looked good to me.”

The 23-year-old took to social media on Tuesday to express frustration with the reporting of his comments.

“I hate how media will always create controversy and takes things out of context to make a headline,” he wrote. “Got outplayed and outclassed yesterday. How about we focus on the tennis for once. I will get back to work and improve you can count on that. Thank you Australia.”

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Roger Federer
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When young Roger Federer blasted Pat Cash

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Roger Federer wrapped up the 2003 season with his first ATP Masters Cup title. The Swiss finished the season ranked 2nd behind Andy Roddick and wanted to make changes ahead of the new season. Working with Peter Lundgren since 2000, Roger decided to part ways with the Swede and entered the 2004 season without a coach.

Before the tournament, former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash had criticized Federer for leaving Lundgren just before the season’s first Major, calling it “inexplicable” and drawing Roger’s girlfriend, Mirka, into the story.
As was predicted, Federer was unhappy when he heard about that, saying he did not care what Pat Cash thought as he did not know him.

Also, the Swiss confirmed he was looking for a coach, making no-hurry decisions and waiting for the right opportunity in the next couple of months. Federer made a winning start in Melbourne without a coach in his box, beating Alex Bogomolov Jr.

6-3, 6-4, 6-0 in an hour and a half. Roger always had the upper hand, dropping 15 points in 13 service games and never facing a break point. With the pressure on his side, Bogomolov Jr. lost almost half of the points behind the initial shot, suffered five breaks and faded from the court in the third to propel Federer through.

One break of serve in each of the opening two sets was enough for Roger to move two sets to love in front. He dominated the third and sealed the deal with a service winner in game six for a place in the second round.

Roger Federer blasted Pat Cash at the 2004 Australian Open.

“Even without a coach, I feel good on the court.

It isn’t easy to start the season without a coach, but that was my decision. I thought about it for a long time, probably six months. So, I do not care what Pat Cash says. I did not read his article; people told me what he said.

I could not believe it, as nothing of that was right. I do not even know Pat Cash and can not take his words seriously, as he does not know me. I know what is true and what is not valid. What he is saying is not right and not fair.

I’m looking for a coach and trying to make the right decisions. I do not want to stress into something, and it will take a few weeks or months to make a move. I do not know who will be my next coach. Working with me is a good challenge for any coach; I’m different than the other guys.

You got to know each other a bit and feel you can get along well over 20 or 30 weeks a year; that’s not easy,” Roger Federer said.

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