A day after his emphatic Australian Open 2021 triumph over Daniil Medvedev in Melbourne, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic said he will be taking some time off tennis in order to recover from a muscle tear that almost ended his title hopes.
"I just came actually came from another MRI that I`ve done this morning and the damage is bigger than what it was when it happened when I did the first MRI after the third round," Djokovic told reporters.
"It`s not too bad judging by what the doctor said but I`ll have to take some time off and heal. The tear is bigger."
"I reflect on it as a great experience, and a unique journey, and I would definitely remember and try to take out a lot of positives from it," he said.
"I have learned a lot of lessons, and learned a lot of things, about myself and about everything that was going on in the last five to six weeks, but I think that everything that was happening on and off the court makes this victory even better and even sweeter."
Djokovic used improved serving, along with his usual relentless returning and baseline excellence to grab 11 of 13 games in one stretch and beat Medvedev 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 for a third consecutive Australian Open trophy.
