Mark Petchey, the former coach of Andy Murray, has hinted that Novak Djokovic would give up tennis later this year. According to Petchey’s idea, the 24-time Grand Slam champion might give up the sport after attempting to capture an Olympic gold medal in Paris.
Djokovic has never taken home an Olympic gold medal. It is among the few significant accolades that he has failed to receive throughout his illustrious career.
Alejandro Tabilo defeated the Serbian on Sunday, ending his run at the Italian Open. The Serb has struggled with form and fitness this year. After defeating Corentin Moutet in the first round, Djokovic expressed dissatisfaction over experiencing the aftereffects of being unintentionally hit on the head after signing autographs.
He now has less than two weeks to get ready for the French Open’s opening round. Although Djokovic is still one of the tournament favourites, he will need to rapidly find his best form again.
Tennis coach Petchey is worried that Djokovic would retire later this year, especially if he wins an Olympic gold medal in Paris, as he is nearing the conclusion of his career.
“Anyone else getting a Paris Olympics massive push for the one thing Novak doesn’t have and then Au Revoir to tennis?” that was the tweet Petchey posted in reference to the 36-year-old. “He’s still in the favourite category for [Roland Garros and Wimbledon], but to be this great for so long takes incredible sacrifice,” Petchey wrote.
Djokovic had a disappointing few days in Rome. He easily defeated World No. 83 Moutet in the opening round and would have liked to make a deep run into the tournament’s later rounds.
Even though Djokovic joked about donning a riding helmet to a practice, it seemed like the strange bottle event had an effect on him. He disclosed that in the hours following his triumph over Moutet, he sought medical assistance.
That has had a significant impact on me. Following that, I received medical attention and experienced nausea, vertigo, and blood for between 30 and 60 minutes,” Djokovic remarked after the match.
“I got headaches, but I was able to sleep okay. I felt that it was okay because the following day, or yesterday, went rather well. It could be fine, or it might not be.
“It was like a whole new player stepped into my shoes today the way I felt on the field. Simply put, there is never any rhythm, pace, or balance on any shot. It’s a little concerning.”