Novak Djokovic during a practice match against Daniil Medvedev on Wednesday.Credit:Getty Images
Novak Djokovic has appeared back on court at Rod Laver Arena after being denied the chance to play last year, with a practice match against Daniil Medvedev slipping from his grasp while he showed signs of discomfort in his left hamstring.
Fans filed into a corner of the arena to see the high-profile exhibition match on Wednesday afternoon. Djokovic had defeated Medvedev on Saturday to reach the Adelaide International final, despite having mid-match hamstring troubles.
Djokovic led 3-1 in Wednesday’s one-set practice hit. However, the Serbian did several leg extensions while on court and received treatment on his left leg while the players swapped sides.
Medvedev showed a strong serve, hitting seven aces to Djokovic’s one.
The session was meant to be 75 minutes but Djokovic exited after Medvedev claimed the first set 6-4 in 38 minutes.
Djokovic had said in a press conference at the Adelaide International that he had felt a pulling on the hamstring, requiring him to take a medical timeout.
“When the pills kicked in, I guess, after a few games, when it was warm enough, I felt OK. Let’s see how it feels when I wake up tomorrow,” he said.
Djokovic was the drawcard for many fans, like British man Mike Vear, who was keen for an early peek at a few of the top players’ skills. “We want to see how they perform,” he said.
Vear saw Djokovic as mentally strong given his deportation from Australia over his vaccination status last year, but wondered if he could struggle after getting less practice in. “But even if he’s not fit, he still wins,” he said.
Juan Sanahuja, an Argentinian travelling Australia as part of a working holiday, said he had come to see Djokovic because he saw him as the world’s best.
“For me, he is the gold, he is the best player who has ever played,” Sanahuja said.
Melburnian Di Crabtree said last year’s Australian Open felt like it was missing something without Djokovic, who has won the tournament nine times. “It wasn’t good for the competition,” she said.
But not everyone at the tennis wanted to see the exhibition match. Xavier Hendy, an 18-year-old from Melbourne, said he disliked what he perceived in Djokovic as arrogance and wanted to watch players on the outer courts instead.
“I prefer to watch players that are respectful and that have shown a lot of thought and dignity,” he said, referring to Djokovic’s vaccination saga before last year’s Australian Open. “I would prefer to watch Cameron Norrie or [Alex] de Minaur.”
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