It’s been a challenging road for Novak Djokovic at this year’s French Open. He’s functioning through physical pain, all while trying to process a recently announced life-threatening illness ravaging his roster. It was clear in his last match against Corentin Moutet that Djokovic was struggling with blisters on his left foot. It was this pain that led him to seek medical treatment. With so much at stake, the contest extended over three heart-pounding hours. In a close and competitive match, he pulled out the contentious win 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 through a set point in the thrilling third set.
At 38 years old, Djokovic has recently admitted to feeling the challenges of sustaining high level play through multiple matches. He gave the impression that it was getting tougher and tougher to perform match after match at his age. Despite these physical hurdles, Djokovic remains focused on his goal of making history in grand slam tournaments.
Compounding Djokovic’s on-court challenges, his physio, Miljan Amanovic, has been hospitalized after surgery for an undisclosed but severe health condition. While specifics about Amanovic’s condition are still under wraps, Djokovic shared an update on Friday, saying that
“He’s currently stable, but the situation isn’t ideal.” – Novak Djokovic
Amanovic’s health issues have loomed large over the team. Djokovic said it’s not just tennis players affected, but everyone’s scared for their fellow player. According to reports, Amanovic will need to stay in the hospital for a few days. This has not yet been substantiated.
Djokovic’s first-round victory came with serious struggles. He admittedly had to deal with some sore toes during the match and thought it was a bit taxing overall.
“Look, the recovery time is not much longer, I feel like,” Djokovic remarked, indicating his determination to push through despite the physical toll.
If he advances to the third round, Djokovic will meet either Denis Shapovalov or Filip Misolic. The Serbian tennis star remains committed to his pursuit of further grand slam success while navigating through this tumultuous period with his team.
