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After a brutal schedule in which matches lasted until 4am, Novak Djokovic joined the chorus of players and pundits pleading with Australian Open officials to change their approach.
The 35-year-old Serb, who will face Australian star Alex de Minaur in the fourth round on Monday, joined Andy Murray in urging tournament director Craig Tiley to consider starting the night session earlier after a series late finals.
Murray, a five-time Australian Open finalist, sat out the tournament on Saturday night after a stubborn four-set loss to Roberto Bautista Agut.
A relieved Novak Djokovic celebrates his victory over Grigor Dimitrov in the third round
He was regressing after a hellish 4:05am final to Thanasi Kokkinakis on Friday, and since no player has won a singles match at the Open after winning a previous meeting that ended after 2am, Murray was always on against.
He needed five sets and almost six hours to overcome Australian fan favorite Kokkinakis in the second round and said the schedule must change.
“I’m sure if you went and talked to some sleep experts and sports scientists etc., the people who really know what’s important for athletes to recover would tell you sleep comes first.” That’s the most important thing,” Murray said after Saturday night’s loss.
‘Finishing games at four in the morning is not good for the players.
I would also say that it is not good for the sport, for anyone who is involved in it. I think there are some pretty simple things that can be done to change that,” Murray said.
Djokovic agreed with his old friend and rival on the court.
Novak Djokovic reacts after earning a point against Grigor Dimitrov in their win on Saturday night. The Serb will now face Alex de Minaur in the fourth round.
Djokovic battled with his left leg injury throughout the match against Dimitrov, and admits he is relying on “pills and hot cream” to get him through the tournament.
The Melbourne Park king, who is looking to secure his 10th Australian Open crown, said officials responsible for programming Down Under should take into account input from players like him.
‘For the crowd, it’s entertaining, exciting, to have matches (at) midnight, 1, 2, 3 am. For us, it’s really exhausting,” Djokovic said.
Even if you pass and win, you prevail in these types of matches, you still have to come back. You have your sleep cycle, the rhythm has been completely disrupted, you don’t have enough time to recover for another set of five.
‘Yes, something needs to be addressed in terms of the schedule after what we’ve seen this year.
The contribution of the ‘players’ is always important for the organization of the tournament. If it’s decisive, we know it’s not because it comes down to what the TV stations want to have. That is the maximum person in charge of the decision”, said the Serb.
Murray had the same idea as Djokovic, and the Scotsman hoped Australian Open organizers would follow their American counterparts, who have only two matches in the daytime session on the show courts.
Andy Murray sat out the Australian Open following a four-set loss to Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday, after he was forced to step back after a 4am final. The Scotsman calls for changes in the brutal programming
‘That (two games) would prevent the day games from moving into the night session starting too late. I think it’s quite simple that you could look at,’ he said.
‘You would still get quality matches during the day. People who bought ground passes would see the best players more, which would be great for them.
“If you did that, you might as well bring the night sessions a little earlier, like 6:00 or 6:30 p.m.
That time, those few hours, can make all the difference for players. That’s something that’s probably worth it, yeah, considering moving on,’ said an exhausted Murray.
Djokovic is dealing with his own exhaustion, thanks to his left leg.
The veteran has required several medical timeouts to get through the first three rounds, and that means he is reliant on “pills and hot cream” to take on the 23-year-old Australian in round four.
Novak Djokovic reaches for his ankle during his win over Grigor Dimitrov. The Serb has been forced to use multiple injury time-outs during the tournament.
Djokovic falls during the match against Dimitrov, struggling with various ailments in his left leg.
“(The left leg injury) always starts off well in the last few games and then some movement happens and then it gets worse,” the fourth seed said.
Yeah, the pills work, a little hot cream and stuff. That works for a bit, then stops working and works again. It’s really a roller coaster, honestly.
“It requires a lot of energy that I’m expending on my part mentally and physically, too, to deal with the match with my opponent and also with a less than ideal physical condition,” Djokovic said.
Unbeaten in Australia for five years and 37 matches, Djokovic, even though affected by injury, is a heavy favorite to advance to the Open quarterfinals for the 13th time on Monday.
He plans to build on the experience of facing Lleyton Hewitt and the Melbourne Park crowd when he takes on tennis speed demon Minaur for his regular spot in the quarterfinals.
But he certainly won’t be a fan favorite in the round four blockbuster with De Minaur carrying a nation’s hopes as the last Australian standing in the singles draw.
Australian hero Alex de Minaur said he hopes for support from his home crowd as he prepares to take on Djokovic.
The Aussie needs no extra motivation as he is bidding for a place in his Grand Slam quarter-final on home soil for the first time, and knows that having the support of the Rod Laver Arena crowd can be a big factor.
‘It’s no secret that I love to play here in my backyard. The Australian crowd is incredible. They have supported me from day one,” he said of Minaur.
‘My opponents don’t just have to play against me, they have to play against me and the whole crowd, right?’
Djokovic, who has become a fan favorite due to his extraordinary success Down Under over the years, knows exactly what the Melbourne Park crowd can bring to the table.
Djokovic’s fans wave a flag at the Serb’s match against Dimitrov
“I’m sure the atmosphere will be electric and he (de Minaur) will have a lot of support, and he’ll be motivated to try and win the match,” the nine-time champion said.
But I have had experiences before. I played Lleyton Hewitt here. I played with great Australian players so I know how that feels. I know what to expect.’
More worrisome for Djokovic than the crowd is De Minaur’s lightning speed on the pitch, as he continues to struggle with his left hamstring.
The speed of Alex de Minaur (pictured returning a serve against Benjamin Bonzi in their third round win) will make life difficult for Djokovic as he deals with a leg injury.
“Obviously De Minaur is one of the fastest players on tour, probably the fastest guy,” he said.
He has improved a lot and obviously has Lleyton Hewitt in his corner, a multiple Grand Slam winner, (former) world number 1. That is a great team.
“The fact that I never faced him is also a challenge,” Djokovic said.
That the fans get to see Djokovic is something in itself.
The Serb, who was thought by many to never be able to return to the Australian grand slam after he was deported before last year’s tournament for his anti-vaccination views, thought his leg injury would be the reason he would not play. in the 2023 edition.
Novak Djokovic has won nine Australian Open titles and is still well in the mix for a tenth despite his leg injury.
‘It (the injury) is what it is. It’s kind of circumstances you have to accept. I am very grateful to be able to play,” Djokovic said.
‘The way it looked just before the tournament started, I thought it wouldn’t be possible. I’m still here and I’m still holding on.
Djokovic or De Minaur will play Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev or Danish world number 10 Hulger Rune on Wednesday for a place in the semi-finals, and Melbourne Park will love him either way, no doubt.