Novak Djokovic is making another comeback from an injury. Faster than expected? When it comes to Novak Djokovic, his recovery speed always seems to defy expectations. The 24-time Grand Slam champion picked up a hamstring injury during his Australian Open quarterfinal clash against Carlos Alcaraz. Despite a heavy strapping on his left thigh, Djokovic won the match in four sets after getting the medical attention. More concerns mounted when he retired against Alexander Zverev, leaving fans wondering when he could be back in action. While initial reports suggested he could be sidelined for months, updates indicate he can be back sooner.

Initially, during Djokovic’s match with Alcaraz, his injury seemed manageable, but it turned out, it was more severe than thought. To avoid bigger damage, he skipped training ahead of the semifinal against Zverev. After this retirement, many skeptics questioned the legitimacy of his injury. However, Djokovic silenced the doubters by sharing an MRI scan on social media, confirming a hamstring tear. “Thought I’d leave this here for all the sports injury ‘experts’ out there,” he wrote in response to criticism on social media.

Freshly coming reports are suggesting that Djokovic is healing faster than anticipated. According to the Instagram page tsh.tennis, the Serbian star is making remarkable progress and can be back in action sooner than expected. Serbian media outlet Sportal has also confirmed that Djokovic might return within weeks. “Djokovic, with daily therapies and treatments, has repaired the injury, and we will see him on the Tour in two weeks, at the tournament in Doha that he registered earlier,” Sportal reported.

The report has also stated that Novak Djokovic has received medical clearance and will begin light training in the coming days. he will be gearing up for the challenge in Qatar now. “Novak is a special story. In the past, the Serbian tennis player has recovered much faster than expected. That was the case this time as well. Fortunately,” Sportal added. History supports the possibility of his quick return. Last year, Djokovic battled a similar hamstring injury during his Australian Open title run, only to make a comeback at the Dubai Tennis Championships weeks later. This time as well, the initial concerns suggested that he could be out until the clay-court season in April. But it appears the Serbian tennis star is once again ready to prove his resilience.

The Qatar Open is set to take place from February 17-22. Djokovic is still on schedule to play it, with other fellow top-ranked players like Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Danil Medvedev also playing. Novak Djokovic is currently ranked 6th in the ATP World rankings, with a 7-2 record. It seems like Nole’s return could shake up the tennis landscape once again.

Novak Djokovic Jumps to Second Place in UTR Rankings

Following the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic has also moved up in the Universal Tennis Ratings (UTR). The UTR rankings are different from the official ATP rankings but UTR assesses players based on performance consistency and form. The UTR operated on a 16-point scale, factoring in a player’s last 30 matches over the past year. Rather than focusing solely on wins and losses, it evaluates competitiveness, giving more weight to victories over high-ranked opponents.

Jannik Sinner has maintained his no.1 UTR spot, a position he held even before winning the Australian Open title. Meanwhile, Djokovic has climbed to second place, surpassing Carlos Alcaraz. His crucial win over the Spaniard in Melbourne played an important role in making this jump. While Djokovic and Sinner shine at the top, some players have experienced drastic shifts.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, who ranked at ATP No. 12, dropped his UTR rankings to No. 29. While ATP No. 5 Casper Ruud sits at No. 30. On the flip side, some rising stars seem to climb the rankings. Brazilian talent Joao Fonesca, currently at ATP No. 99, has climbed to No. 40 in the UTR rankings. With Djokovic’s early return from injury on the horizon, his UTR rankings are on the rise as well. The tennis world awaits his comeback, and it seems like fans won’t have to wait much longer to find out.