3 Years After Novak Djokovic Left Her Stranded at Olympics, Doubles Partner Makes a ‘Painful’ Admission

The Serbian authorities recently confirmed Novak Djokovic‘s entry at the Paris Olympics. The legend’s run seemed to be surrounded by doubts as he recently went through surgery on his knee. However, the story of an injury and setbacks was spread during his last participation at the Tokyo Olympics. While he decided to exit without taking a medal home, it was his mixed doubles partner who had regrets in her heart.

The limelight player of Serbia, Novak Djokovic left the Tokyo Olympics without a medal after a series of intense showdowns that hampered his form, resulting in a shoulder injury. Djokovic competed in both singles and mixed doubles events, making it to the semi-finals in both.

Everyone was celebrating his runs as he secured spots in the semi-finals of both singles and mixed doubles. While everything seemed to be moving in the right direction, the weight on his body led to defeats in the singles semi-final and bronze medal matches. This also caused him to withdraw from the mixed doubles bronze medal match, affecting his partner Nina Stojanovic as she didn’t even get a chance to compete for the medal. Stojanovic recently came forward to share the impact of Djokovic’s withdrawal on her.

“It was sent off, I didn’t expect it to be sent off like that. It’s a very painful topic,” she said in a recent interview (Translated using Google). “I didn’t talk to Novak after that, I didn’t have a chance. I saw him two or three times, I saw him on May 25 when I was training after the Games or at a Grand Slam, but I didn’t have the chance or time, because of my obligation, for his own sake, let’s sit down and talk.”

The mixed doubles bronze medal match could have been a crucial moment for Stojanovic. For a lower-ranked player like her, it was an opportunity to stand on a glorious platform.“I think that conversation will happen once and I hope it will happen, but we never talked about it specifically,” she added, highlighting the fact that she and Djokovic never really had a conversation about it.

Although Djokovic’s injury might seem to be justified from his own perspective, it actually left a mark on his partner, who wished for a different outcome and probably a medal. The incident not only highlighted the harm that it could cause to a doubles partner but also gave out the intensity it has if the companion is a lower-ranked one.

Novak Djokovic shares a deep feeling of regret following the Olympic exit

Although it was obvious for Nina Stojanovic to remember this regret for a lifetime, Novak Djokovic also shared a similar feeling instantly. In an interview just hours after he announced his exit from the Tokyo Olympics, the Serb turned emotional while letting his thoughts out. “I’ve had some heart-breaking losses at the Olympic Games and some big tournaments in my career. I know that those losses have usually made me stronger in every aspect. I know that I will bounce back,” he told the press.

Expressing optimism for the Paris Olympics, he added, “I will try to keep going for the Paris Olympic Games. I will fight for my country to win medals. I’m sorry that I disappointed a lot of sports fans in my country, but that’s sport.” The event he anticipates is still far off. While the grass court season lies ahead of him before the Olympics, it still remains to be seen if he will be able to get his wounds healed.