“It’s never nice to lose, but this won’t linger” – Djokovic optimistic after de Minaur defeat despite wrist issue

Novak Djokovic lost to Alex de Minaur in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 in the United Cup, and is suffering from a wrist problem – but he’s not too troubled by it.

His focus – as always – is on being in prime condition for the Australian Open in less than two weeks.

“I knew that [I am] probably not going to be at my 100 per cent physically, emotionally, mentally game-wise in the opening week of a season,” the world No 1 told journalists after the match. “Neither did I expect that. Neither did I want that, to be honest. It’s all a part of the build-up for Australian Open, you know. So that’s where I want to perform at my best.

“So again, it’s never nice to lose a match, of course, but, you know, it’s not really going to stay with me much.”

Djokovic: I hope my wrist injury will improve

The Serbian has been suffering from a wrist problem over the past few days, but was unable to take a medical time-out during the match against the Australian.

“I asked for the medical time-out, but he said that you can’t get medical time-out. You can only get a changeover if the injury is already existing, he explained. So I didn’t understand really what that means.

“But he said that – I told him that it was improving, so that’s why he didn’t think that I should get a medical time-out. I said it was improving before the match, but then as the match progressed yesterday and also today particularly was getting worse, so I needed treatment. He didn’t want to give me one.

“So that’s all. There’s not much more I can say.”

Again, though, this is not causing him concern.

“The process is not strange to me. It’s not unusual. I’ve been in this kind of situation so many times and I know what I need to do along with my team to get myself ready.

“Of course you never know what can happen. I mean, last two years I’ve been injured just before Australian Open, and managed to win both Australian Opens and, you know — sorry, last two out of three years, ’21 and ’23. So I hope that I will not be injured this time around, you know.

“That’s what we’re going to work on, to get my body in the right shape, optimal state, so that I can perform at the high level throughout hopefully the entire Australian Open.”

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