Novak Djokovic was pleased to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open without any “major” physical issues as he issued an update on a troublesome foot blister ahead of his showdown against Jannik Sinner.
Djokovic admitted he was “extremely lucky” to survive his quarter-final meeting with Lorenzo Musetti, as the Italian retired from the match due to a leg injury while leading 2-0 in sets.
It was another boost for Djokovic as the 38-year-old bids to win a record 25th grand slam title and become the oldest Australian Open champion of all time, although he will be the underdog against defending champion Sinner on Friday.
Djokovic received treatment on his foot following the second set against Musetti, and looked to be in some discomfort while a physio applied fresh bandages. But he said the blister did not hinder his movement and reported no other injuries.
“I had a blister that needed to be looked at and retaped. That's what I did last match and now. That's the biggest of my concerns, to be honest. I don't have any other major issues,” Djokovic said.
“I mean, you always have some minor issues with your body, at least for me every single day. But major issues, no. Thankfully, that's still not posing a challenge for me and obstacle in order for me to be able to play and move around the way I want to.”
Djokovic received a fourth-round walkover after Jakub Mensik withdrew from the tournament due to injury and the 10-time Australian Open champion has only spent nine hours on court during his run to a fifth consecutive grand slam semi-final.
Last season, the 38-year-old reached the semi-finals at all four majors, only to retire from his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev and run into either Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.
With Alcaraz facing Zverev in Friday’s other semi-final, Djokovic will likely have to beat the two best players in the world if he is to make more tennis history and lift his 25th grand slam in Melbourne.
“Are they [Sinner and Alcaraz] better right now than me and all the other guys? Yes, they are. I mean, the quality and the level is amazing. It's great. It's phenomenal,” Djokovic said. “But does that mean that I walk out with a white flag? No. I'm going to fight until the last shot, until the last point, and do my very best to challenge them.”
