Novak Djokovic and Matteo Berrettini’s eventful rivalry continues as they face off at the Qatar Open. The Serbian star makes his return to competition on Tuesday for the first time since he withdrew due to a thigh injury during his Australian Open semi-final match against Alexander Zverev.
in a statement prior to the Doha event, he mentioned that the injury is “almost 100 per cent repaired. ” Djokovic, who is still aiming for a 100th career ATP title, remarked: “I have the green light from the medical team that I can train, that I can prepare. Thank God, I was able to recover quickly. I’ve experienced more injuries lately than I did in the first 15 years of my career. This likely comes with age, but my body still listens to me, I still have a burning flame and a desire to achieve new things. ”
“I hope that the 100th trophy can come to Doha right now. I’ve been pursuing it for a long time – it will arrive when it is meant to arrive. ” Djokovic and Berrettini have squared off four times before, with Djokovic securing victory each time. Three of these encounters took place at grand slams, most notably during the 2021 Wimbledon final.
The duo has also clashed at another grand slam, the French Open, where Djokovic exhibited a remarkable reaction after Berrettini saved a match point. Following an exhilarating fourth-set rally that Berrettini won, Djokovic unleashed his frustration by performing a mock serve, shouting at his support team in the stands, and kicking an advertising board.
Ultimately, Djokovic managed to finish the match in four sets, but Berrettini took motivation from his opponent’s outburst. “I’m just trying to remember the screams of Novak Djokovic at the end of the match because that indicates that he truly felt threatened, it is a source of pride,” he stated.
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