Novak Djokovic felt as if he'd "betrayed" himself after getting surgery, according to his mum.
The World No. 1 was forced to withdraw from the French Open this week after tearing his meniscus during his fourth-round five-setter with Francisco Cerundolo. There's now a good chance he'll miss Wimbledon, which begins at the start of the next month after he decided to get the tear surgically repaired.
Incredibly, it marks just the second surgical procedure of his lengthy, illustrious career, and his first since 2018 when he corrected a recurring elbow problem. The injury had been causing him pain for nearly two years, and after a five-month lay-off failed to mend it, he had no other option but to get surgery.
However, this presented something of a moral dilemma for the Serbian, who, as demonstrated by his refusal to take the Covid-19 vaccine, is a fierce body autonomy advocate. As such, he prefers to let his body heal naturally, rather than use drugs and surgical procedures.
But after having his hand forced, he went under the knife. His mother, Dijana, accompanied him to the hospital and explained that her son felt a sense of disappointment after waking up from the anaesthesia.
Boris Becker “stronger” after prison stint as he posts New Year message to fans
"He told me that he had betrayed himself," she told Sportal Blic. "I explained to him that he did what he had to do and that if he wanted to continue playing, it was necessary. He tried alternative methods, and everything available to him, but nothing worked.
"Novak is simply against [surgery]. He doesn't like drugs, he doesn't like to take anything into his body. He is curious, he reads everything he can get his hands on, he educates himself."
Novak Djokovic with his mother Dijana in 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)Fortunately for Djokovic, the surgery worked wonders and he was back to his best after just a few weeks. He ended up winning four out of the next six Grand Slams and has won eight more since.
The 37-year-old will be hoping for a similar reaction to his latest injury setback, but with his 40s fast approaching that might be easier said than done.
With Djokovic out of the running at Rolland Garros, it gives Casper Ruud a walkover into the semi-finals. There, he'll face the winner of Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur. Meanwhile, tournament favourite Carlos Alcaraz faces Jannik Sinner in the other semi-final.
DON'T SCRAP REPLAYS!
and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
