Novak Djokovic: The Virus Is Fading Away
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Novak Djokovic isn’t completely virus free, but whatever’s been ailing him the last few weeks is slowly going away, perhaps just in time.
“They’re fading away,” Djokovic said after a straight set win over Aljaz Bedene. “It hasn’t been an ideal couple of weeks in terms of health and preparation. But, you know, I fighted my way through. Now it’s behind me. I’m only looking forward. I think I did well in terms of responding to the slow start today, feeling a little bit rusty on the court. So hopefully the next one will be even better.”
As a four-time champion winning three of the last four years, Djokovic is the favorite to win a fifth. But he says there’s are other real threats including Rafael Nadal. Djokovic said he isn’t buying Rafa’s downplay.
“I don’t know what his intentions are, how he feels,” Djokovic said about Nadal. “But he is definitely always one of the top favorites in every tournament that he plays. There is no question about it. We always talk prior to the big tournaments, during the first days of the Grand Slams, about who the potential players are for winning the trophy. You know, more or less the same names have been going around for the last seven or eight years. So I don’t think there is any difference in terms of main favorites for this tournament even this year in the Australian Open. There are a few other players that are able to challenge the best.”
Djokovic will play against Thursday against either Kuznetsov or Ramos.
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