Novak Djokovic has given his followers an insight into his training progress as he prepares to return to competitive action this week.
Djokovic, 33, has played in just one tournament in 2022, reaching the quarter final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships before losing to qualifier Jiri Vesely. That's been due to his controversial stance on Covid-19, with the Serbian's refusal to be vaccinated costing him a chance to defend his Australian Open title in January.
The saga proved an explosive one, with Djokovic eventually being deported from the country a day before the tournament having initially successfully appealed the ruling. He attempted to enter both the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Open in America, but was forced to withdraw over the country's vaccination rules.
Despite his inactivity, Djokovic has managed to regain the world No 1 status he lost to Daniil Medvedev, with the Russian underwhelming in both US tournaments. And despite being desperately short of match practice ahead of the French Open in May, the 20-time Grand Slam champion will make a much-needed comeback this weekend.
He's entered into the Monte-Carlo Masters, which forms a crucial part of the build up to Roland Garros. And he's taken to Twitter to post a 22-second clip of himself practising on clay, seamlessly hitting a number of backhand and forehands.
He also tagged tournament organisers in the post, along with waving hand and smiling face emojis. The clip appears to have gone down well with his nine million followers, having racked up over 1,500 retweets and 12,000 likes within 12 hours of being posted.
However, responses reflected the current divisive nature of Djokovic, with the likes of @ToniNicfam pleased to see him back. "Makes my heart full of joy to see you back on the tour. Can’t wait to see you play. You have our support from London," she wrote.
@AceKing_21 added: "I’m a big Nadal fan, but good to see Novak back on the court. Hoping Nadal can get back soon as tennis needs these two battling each other, especially on the clay."
However, @MerrillBell3 took aim at his continued refusal to be jabbed, posting: "The only reason we can watch tennis is because of the number of people now vaccinated. By his refusal to “risk” vaccination, Djokovic is saying he’s more important than the vaccinated fans who watch him."
The tournament gets underway on Saturday, and culminates with the men's final the following Sunday. Djokovic has won the event just once, in 2013, but his chances this time around will be boosted by the absence of Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard, who is currently recovering from a fractured rib, has taken 11 of the last 15 titles on offer there. But having started 2022 in scintillating form, he now faces a race against time to be fit for a tilt at a 14th French Open.
And Djokovic's hopes in that Slam, which he needs to win to tie level with Nadal on 21 major wins, could be further helped by Medvedev also announcing a lay-off. The US Open champion will undergo surgery after playing the first three months of 2022 with a small hernia.
