Djokovic skips practice match due to injury

The practice match against Medvedev was Djokovic's first time playing in front of fans in Melbourne since being deported from Australia last year for not having a vaccine passport. The audience who spent $ 20 to watch Nole scrim was somewhat disappointed, when he withdrew after only 36 minutes.

Djokovic won the ball game early in the match, then led 3-2 before calling for medical attention because of pain in his left knee. Djokovic injured his left hamstring when he met Medvedev in the semi-finals of the Adelaide International a week ago - the tournament he won.

When he returned to the practice match at Rod Laver Arena, Nole won only one more game. He continued to call for medical attention when he was 3-4 then 4-5, before losing the first set 4-6. While Medvedev remained on the court, Djokovic withdrew, allowing Spaniard Pablo Andujar to replace him. Ahead of the Australian Open, Djokovic has a performance match against Nick Kyrgios on Friday, January 13.

The 2023 Australian Open kicks off on January 16, with relaxed regulations on Covid-19 compared to last year. The 2023 tournament saw the first time Grand Slam not require players to be tested for Covid-19. This year's prize has a record total prize money of more than 53 million USD. This number is up about 3.5% from last year, but the champion still receives $ 2.975 million. In 2022, when Djokovic was banned from participating in the tournament, Rafael Nadal was crowned after defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final.

Djokovic comes to Melbourne this year with the goal of increasing his record of 10 championship titles and equaling Nadal's record of 22 Grand Slams. As of 2019, Nole has not lost in Australia in official matches.