“I Started to Feel Really Bad” – Novak Djokovic Reveals Scary Moment During Australian Open Finals

Novak Djokovic recovered from 2-1 sets down in a Grand Slam final for the first time to clinch his 8th Australian Open and 17th major title. Despite struggling badly for much of the match, Djokovic found a way to win the match. On the other hand, Dominic Thiem made an incredible effort but wasn’t enough to get past the Serbian.

Surprisingly, Djokovic looked clueless and exhausted in the four-hour-long finals. He also admitted to feeling low on energy and dizzy during the second and third sets due to dehydration. The intake of gels, lot of water and bottles of nutrients following the third set rejuvenated his energy and brought him back into the match.

“I played a bad game”: Novak Djokovic

In the second and third sets, Novak struggled during his service games and his level dropped to the floor. He played some awful tennis at times. However, Djokovic was successful in digging out of a hole and finding his focus back in the game. He also did it at 2019 Wimbledon Championship against Roger Federer and he did it here again. It was another mental victory for the 17-time Grand Slam champion.

“I played a bad game at the beginning of the second, a couple of double-faults. After I lost the second set, I start to feel really bad on the court. My energy dropped significantly,” he said.

Djokovic further added: “To be honest, I don’t still understand the reason why that has happened because I’ve been doing the things that I’ve been doing before all of my matches. I was hydrated well and everything. Apparently, the doctor said I wasn’t hydrated enough.”

Also Read: “I’m Sorry if I Offended Him” – Novak Djokovic Escapes Without a Fine at Australian Open

“I was on the brink of losing the match”: Djokovic

The 32-year-old revealed that he regained his energy and strength midway in the fourth set and got back into the match.

“I was on the brink of losing the match. Dominic is a fantastic tennis player that plays with a tremendous amount of power in his shots, especially from the forehand side. He uses his slice really well. He disrupted my rhythm in my game at one point,” Djokovic noted.

Novak revealed that Thiem was a better player and the match could have gone a different way. He explained that he served and volleyed when he was facing a breakpoint in the fourth and in the fifth and it worked both of the times. However, It could have also been different as serve and volley is not something he is accustomed to.

“I kind of recognized that as an important tactic in those circumstances, and I’m really happy it worked,” he concluded.