Novak Djokovic played down his wrist injury ahead of the 2024 Australian Open, as did his coach Goran Ivanisevic; however, former ATP player Andre Agassi isn’t sold on it not being a problem.
Novak Djokovic experienced wrist discomfort leading up to the Australian Open but immediately played down any concerns. He didn’t keep playing mixed doubles at the United Cup, though, which was the first signal that actually something was going on.
His coach, Goran Ivanisevic, also played down the injury concern, and when the Serbian took the court for the charity match in Melbourne, he looked fine. Still, footage of him practicing with a sleeve indicates that there is some type of discomfort.
It’s probably not enough to stop him from playing, but he surely feels it. According to former player Andre Agassi, that kind of distraction might have a negative impact, especially in matchups with the best players.
He’ll likely cruise in his first-round matchup, but will that happen against Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Daniil Medvedev? That is the question, and per CODE Sports, Agassi simply thinks it will be a huge disadvantage.
“It sounds like at the moment only Novak can challenge Novak. The wrist is an important part of a tennis swing, I assure you, so you can’t hide if you’re feeling pain anticipating hitting a ball. It will be a big disadvantage if that’s not in good form for him.”
Despite that, Agassi wouldn’t put anybody above Djokovic when it comes to most likely to win the event. The Serbian has proved it over and over again in Melbourne, and nothing is suggesting that this year will be different than the previous ones.
“But if it is then you have to favor him for sure. He’s proven that for way too long now and there’s nothing to suggest it’s going to be any different this time.”
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