MELBOURNE, Australia — The injury update from Novak Djokovic was all good on the eve of his Australian Open title defense.
Djokovic hurt his wrist playing for Serbia in the United Cup last week, and needed treatment twice during a quarterfinal loss to Australia’s Alex de Minaur.
“My wrist is good. I had time from the last match against de Minaur to my first match here to recover,” he said. “I’ve been training well. Practice sessions pain-free so far. It’s good. It’s all looking good.”
Djokovic has made it a habit to start the year with a title in Australia. He’s on a 28-match winning streak at Melbourne Park, where he has won an unprecedented 10 men’s singles crowns. It’s a major contributor to his record 24 Grand Slam titles.
And so he feels right at home. He hosted “A Night with Novak and Friends” that drew almost a capacity crowd to Rod Laver Arena, where he got the jump on organizers by announcing he’d be playing the night match on Sunday — Day 1 of the first-ever 15-day Australian Open.
Both singles champions will play in the first of the night sessions: Djokovic’s opener against qualifier Dino Prizmic will by followed by Aryna Sabalenka’s first-round match against Ella Seidel.
Fourth-seeded Jannik Sinner, who beat Djokovic twice in a month late last year, including in Italy’s run to the Davis Cup title, will open play on the main show court against Botic van de Zandschulp. That match will be followed by No. 8 Maria Sakkari’s women’s first round against Nao Hibino. Caroline Wozniacki, the 2018 champion who is returning to Melbourne Park for the first time as a mother, will open the night session on Margaret Court Arena.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic serves during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. Credit: AP/Andy Wong
The first round will be staged over three days, with organizers hoping to cut back on the late finishes across the…
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