Novak Djokovic leads walking wounded at Australian Open

MELBOURNE - Reuters

Twelve-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic headlines a list of walking wounded at the Australian Open, with the Serb desperate to get back to winning ways after six months out injured. The former world number one is making a tilt at a record seventh Melbourne Park crown, but has some serious rust to shake off if he is to make an impression.

Djokovic has been sidelined since Wimbledon in July, with a Tie Break Tens exhibition event and the Kooyong Classic, where he is drawn to play Jan. 10 world number five Dominic Thiem, his only chance to test his right elbow injury.

“Finally back in the land down under. I feel ready. Idemo! [let’s go],” he tweeted on Jan. 8, posting a video of himself hitting on Rod Laver Arena.

But after pulling out of an Abu Dhabi tournament late last month and admitting “I still feel the pain”, a big question mark hangs over how competitive Djokovic can be.

Having added mercurial former tour player Radek Stepanek to a coaching team spearheaded by Andre Agassi, Djokovic only started hitting tennis balls again in November. He admits being sidelined has not been easy, and that missing the U.S. Open last year, the first

Slam he has not played since 2005, was particularly hard. “It’s been a real roller-coaster ride for me for a year-and-a-half with this issue.

I’ve never had surgery in my life, I’ve never had any major injuries that kept me away from the tour for such a long time,” he told Sport360 in Abu Dhabi.

“I never missed a Grand Slam in my career. It was a big decision, a big call to make. I couldn’t play anymore, there was no choice. It was like, that’s it, you can’t lift your arm.”

A decade after winning his first Melbourne Park title Djokovic has slipped to 14 in the world, his lowest in 10 years, giving him extra drive to make inroads at the season-opening major. Also coming back from injuries are 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka, big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic, and world number one Rafael Nadal.

World number one Nadal lost his first match of the year 6-4, 7-5 to Richard Gasquet at the Kooyong Classic on Jan. 9, but said he was happy after his troublesome knee held up “fine.”

Nadal’s knee injury hampered the end of his 2017 season and forced him to skip last week’s Brisbane International, but he was able to give it a workout at the non-tour event in Melbourne.

Though he lost in straight sets, the Spaniard said he would keep working hard until the start of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 15.

Nadal is only playing the one match at Kooyong, but is also scheduled to turn out for a Tie Break Tens tournament at Melbourne Park late on Jan. 10.