Concerning scenes arose at the Australian Open, as Novak Djokovic appeared to be experiencing some issues with his body during his practice sessions. The Melbourne Major is all set to be underway from Saturday, January 17, and all the top players have been hitting the show courts to fine-tune their games and play some practice matches to get in the groove before the first Major of the year.
Fitness Concerns Loom Large Over Novak Djokovic, As the Serb Only Has a 12-Minute Practice Session
Novak Djokovic was on the Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday to have his first practice session of the event. Thousands of audiences had packed the iconic stadium just to watch the 10-time champion get his flow going before he starts his campaign to win a record-extending 25th Major title.
However, when the Serb came on Court 10 to get a second practice session during the evening, there were some concerning signs for the fans. However, it was not the case as he was on the court for only 12 minutes, much of which was spent by his trainer vigorously working on the Serb’s neck.
After that, there were a few balls that were fed to the Serb by his team, and he hit a few serves and wrapped up the session.
🇨🇦✍️@DjokerNole returned to Court 10 for a 2nd session at 5 p.m.
It lasted just … 12 minutes.
A chunk of that time was taken up with the Serb having his neck manipulated by his trainer. He had all his knuckles and even his thumb just DUG in there. It looked pretty painful.” pic.twitter.com/pgfrS2JiWI
— TRAVEL&Sp🎾rts (@travel__Sports) January 14, 2026
Djokovic did arrive for his practice match against Daniil Medvedev on Wednesday, giving some relief to his fans. The Serb did lose the only set he played against the Russian, 5-7, but it was a practice match, and therefore, too much should not be read into the result.
Djokovic and Medvedev share some memories in Melbourne, as the two battled for the title at the 2021 Australian Open, where the Serb prevailed in straight sets.
Fitness issues are the main concern for Djokovic heading into 2026, as the quality of his tennis is not in question, which he demonstrated by reaching the semifinals of all Grand Slams last year.
The Serb is the fourth seed at this year’s event and will ideally want some easy matches first up, so that he is relatively fresh when he goes up against one of Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner in the latter half of the event.
The most prolific Grand Slam player of all time, Djokovic, has achieved the most success at the Australian Open, having lifted the Norman Brooks Cup a record 10 times in his career.
He is sitting on 99 wins at Melbourne Park, and a win in the first round at this year’s competition will give him his 100th win at a third Major, as he already has more than 100 wins at the French Open and at Wimbledon.
