Novak Djokovic requires injections at French Open, apologizes after injury scare
Novak Djokovic gave an apology to the media after his victory over Corentin Moutet at the French Open was delayed due to a medical time-out and a blister issue
Novak Djokovic disclosed he resorted to injections for a minor blister problem after clinching his spot in the French Open's third round, where the three-time former champ triumphed over Corentin Moutet with scores of 6-3, 6-2, and a tiebreak at 7-6(1). Despite sailing through most of the match, Djokovic raised concerns during a medical timeout in the third set and fought back from a break deficit.
After an extended wait, Djokovic appeared before the press, apologizing for the delay and sharing that it took him an hour post-match to address the blister issue but now has a two-day breather before facing off against qualifier Filip Misolic.
Djokovic delivered a commanding performance against Moutet on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, marking his first bout on the tournament’s secondary showcase court since 2023. However, spectators grew anxious when he summoned medical assistance for a foot ailment.
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Quickly regaining ground, Djokovic warded off a set point and demolished the subsequent tiebreak to secure the win.
Addressing the media belatedly, Djokovic expressed regret for the holdup while clarifying the blister situation.
During inquiries about his recuperation process given his age, the 38-year-old stated: "Look, the recovery time is not much longer, I feel like."
"I mean, I'm pretty fit at the moment. I don't feel like I have any major issues. Although it took me, like, almost an hour to deal with the blister and the bleeding that I had."
"So they had to use the injections and draw the blood out and then inject something to dry out the blister. So that was, you know, not really a pleasant process. But it is something that, you know, anyone who has blisters that are bleeding has to do it."
After apologizing for the press conference delay, Djokovic reassured everyone that he should be ready for the next round: "So that's why I'm also late with you guys, and I'm sorry for that. But I don't think it's going to be an issue for me to recover."
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Djokovic reflected positively on the physical demands of the match, adding confidence in his recovery timeline: "I mean, three hours was a lot of running, straight sets, but three-hour match is a good three-hour session. Good thing about slams obviously you have a day in between. So plenty of time to recover and get ready for next one."
Navigating not just an opponent but also the unyielding French fans at Roland Garros, Djokovic commented on the charged atmosphere: "Yeah, I mean, it was a good match, a good fight, particularly in the third. Things got a little bit complicated with the blister. That was bothering me for a bit,".
"I ended out the match well, moving well, playing a great tiebreak. Obviously atmosphere was electric, especially in that third set. He was close to win it, so the crowd got involved.
"And it was, yeah, not much fun for me. Of course it's never easy, but I try to stay calm and do what I need to do, and I think I have done that in a really good way."
Djokovic faces Austrian qualifier Misolic in the third round, who achieved an impressive win over 27th seed Denis Shapovalov in five sets on Thursday.
One issue on Djokovic's mind, however, is avoiding a night session that would coincide with the Champions League final.
"It's going to be PSG that I will support. I will definitely watch it if I'm not playing night session. Yeah, that will be nice. FYI, Roland Garros schedule."
