Novak Djokovic’s long absence from competitive tennis at the start of last year after he was deported from Australia helped him “achieve some great results,” he said in a press conference on Saturday ahead of the 2023 Australian Open
. Djokovic played just two tournaments in the opening four months of 2022 due to his decision to not be vaccinated against Covid-19, and resulting failure to comply with travel rules of some countries hosting tournaments. This enforced time off, however, allowed him to spend more time training. “As a professional tennis player on the highest level, don’t have much time to really have a longer training block,” Djokovic told reporters.
Djokovic is aiming to win a 10th Australian Open title in Melbourne and, more significantly, equal the men’s record of grand slam titles – currently set by Rafael Nadal at 22 – providing the 35-year-old with added motivation. “That’s why I keep on playing professional tennis, competition tennis, because I want to be the best, I want to win the biggest tournaments in the world,” he said. “You have four Slams that historically have been the biggest events in our sport.
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