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Novak Djokovic drops major hint at Australian Open return
Novak Djokovic drops major hint at Australian Open return
Speaking to Serbian outlet Sportal, 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic spoke on the possibility of playing at the Australian Open, about the challenges he encountered this year, Carlos Alcaraz and more…
Novak Djokovic is currently in Belgrade preparing for the final stretch of the 2022 season. The former world number one confirmed his participation at the The Paris Masters, where he will be seeking his seventh title, as well as the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, where he is looking to equal Federer’s record of six titles.
“HOPING FOR A POSITIVE ANSWER” – AUSTRALIAN OPEN PARTICIPATION STILL THE NO 1 QUESTION
When it comes to Djokovic, though, most of the public eye is focused on whether he will be able to participate at the Australian Open in 2023 – the question being whether his three-year ban on seeking a visa will be lifted.
“I AM OVER WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR AND I JUST WANT TO PLAY TENNIS, IT IS WHAT I DO BEST. AUSTRALIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE PLACE WHERE I HAVE PLAYED MY BEST TENNIS, THE RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, SO I AM ALWAYS EXTRA MOTIVATED TO GO THERE. THIS TIME EVEN MORE…”
ARTICLE CONTINUE AFTER THE ADVERTISEMENT..... SCROLL DOWN— Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic drops major hint at Australian Open return
“When it comes to Australia, there are some positive signs, but unofficially,” 35-year-old Djokovic told Sportal. “We are communicating through my lawyers in Australia. In fact, they are communicating with the authorities in charge of my case. I hope to have an answer in the next few weeks – whatever that answer might be, but of course I am hoping for a positive one – so that I have enough time to prepare for the start of the season, if that start is going to happen in Australia.”
Djokovic, nine-time champion in Melbourne, is focused on the future and does not want to dwell on the past.
“I really want to go there, I am over what happened this year and I just want to play tennis, it is what I do best. Australia has always been the place where I have played my best tennis, the results speak for themselves, so I am always extra motivated to go there. This time even more, so.
“I am hoping for a positive answer.”
It was an awkward year for Djokovic filled with experiences he has not encountered before, but there were bright spots: he was also able to win his 21st Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, for starters.
“It was a very interesting year, peculiar,” Djokovic, currently ranked seventh in the world, said. “I always strive to draw positive things from whatever the experience is, that is part of my character and my approach to life. I know that everything that happened in Australia and afterwards – the way people have treated me, which did not feel nice and it is something I have never experienced before in my life – has helped me to learn some valuable lessons.
“Lessons about myself, about life and about the way I should move on in this world, especially in the tennis ecosystem.”
Novak Djokovic drops major hint at Australian Open return
Djokovic says that above all, his love for the sport or tennis is what guides him through the difficult times.
READ MORE: So much that even the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy has reacted to…
“Many masks have fallen, so to say – throughout this process, it was interesting for me to observe the way some people behaved towards me this year. I keep going, motivated and inspired,” he said. “I love this sport, I love giving it my all in every practice because every day is different, and there is always some sort of excitement, some sort of unknown, it is a challenge. The young guns are coming, they are hungry for success, so that is something that gives me extra motivation as well.”
“IT IS A GOOD THING THAT THEY HAVE NOW OPENED THE BORDERS FOR THE UNVACCINATED FOREIGNERS TRAVELING TO AUSTRALIA. I HAVE THAT BAN, I HOPE IT WILL BE LIFTED. AS I SAID, IT IS NOT IN MY HANDS, I HOPE THE PEOPLE IN THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WILL GIVE A POSITIVE ANSWER, THAT IS ALL.”
— Novak Djokovic
DJOKOVIC: “I NEVER TRIED TO BE DISRESPECTFUL”
Djokovic reiterated that he hopes things will go back to normal regarding rules for entering Australia and the United States, so that he is allowed to play there again.
“Some of the biggest tournaments in the world are held there… I respect that everyone has a different way of thinking in relation to my situation and my circumstances. After all, I have never offended anyone or ever tried to be disrespectful in any way. I always tried to show that it is important for everyone to have the right and freedom of choice.
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It shouldn’t have come from his mouth: Christopher Bell disgrace Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in public
Christopher Bell disgrace Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in public
Christopher Bell made his choice about NASCAR’s top superstars based on their achievements in races. He believes that drivers like Austin Dillon from RCR, Kyle Busch from JGR, Brad Keselowski from Team Penske, and Bubba Wallace from RFK Racing are the top drivers in terms of wins.
Bell did not mention big names like Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick, who may be famous but do not have the same level of success as the veterans. He also noted that in the Next-Gen era, there is greater equality in the field, with 15-20 cars competing for the win each week.
This means that the dominance seen in the Big-3 era may not return. Bell suggests that NASCAR needs to find unique ways, like the Netflix documentary, to improve the sport.
Three weeks have passed since the Texas race, and the stunning comeback story it harbored is still the talk of the town. After getting sidelined for 42 Cup races, Chase Elliott stormed back into the winning scene of NASCAR. And the journey to the podium has been a prickly one, laden with obstacles every step of the way.
Chase Elliott suffered a knee injury in a snowboarding accident in 2023 and saw his playoff chances spiraling away from him. His troubles saw no end in sight as his long-time spotter, Eddie D’Hondt, packed up his bags and left. However, the memory of his previous fire helped his journey of recovery.
2023 marked the first season that Chase Elliott walked out of a NASCAR Cup schedule without a single win. However, he did not let his drooping spirits get the better of him. Elliott worked hard with his No. 9 team for a slow but sure comeback in 2024. They crept up the ladder after Daytona, never letting the winless hangover overcome them.
Elliott secured 5th place at Richmond and then grabbed a podium finish at Martinsville. The six-time defending Most Popular Driver held his fans at the edge of their seats. Sure enough, Chase Elliott found his long-lost glory in the Lone Star state. On a recent ‘Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour’ episode, Harvick asked Elliott about the relief he felt on seizing that coveted win. Elliott responded, “Yeah, the first time…I’m not quite used to seeing the other side of the interviews…it is odd, I’m getting used to it. Yeah definitely, relief involved, for sure.”
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We are where we belong: Lewis Hamilton ruthless after Mercedes bankruptcy
Mercedes experienced another blow in the neck at the start of the Formula 1 weekend in Miami. George and Hamilton failed in sprint qualifying in Q2. After the slap, Hamilton didn’t even look for excuses, but instead came to a ruthless conclusion.
“I have the feeling that we got everything out of our car. That’s just our pace. We have to accept that we are seven tenths of a second behind,” said the record world champion.
Mercedes in the Miami midfield: balance is right, result is not
Over the past few weekends, setup experiments have often been cited as an explanation for poor results. There was no talk of this in Miami, although the upgrades that Mercedes brought to the track on a large scale and the sprint format would have given plenty of reason to blame a setup search.
But according to Hamilton, there was no problem with the car’s balance. “The car felt very good in training and it didn’t feel bad in sprint qualifying either,” he summarized. Hopes for the race are muted. “The sprint race will be tough. I don’t expect much from 12th place. Plus, it’s not easy to overtake and follow other cars on this track,” said Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton pessimistic: Are points even possible?
“We’ll just try to get into the points somehow, if we can,” are his small goals. George Russell’s outlook for the short race on Saturday sounded a little more optimistic. “I have no doubt that we will continue to sprint forward.” He starts in P11, just one position ahead of his teammate and compatriot.
However, he sees a need for action with a view to qualifying for the sixth Grand Prix of the 2024 Formula 1 season. “We have to get our qualifying problems under control. Because it is always difficult to fight with other cars when you start from behind “, he said.
Russell’s balance conclusion was similar to Hamilton’s: “In the soft tire felt good on our car, but on the medium tire in qualifying we couldn’t get our car into the sweet spot.”
Mercedes dead end: After the first training session things go downhill
What is particularly alarming for Mercedes is a well-known phenomenon this season: after a good start to the weekend in the first training session, there is no improvement in the following sessions. Mercedes engineer Andrew Shovlin also noted this: “Unfortunately, in the crucial session, we were unable to take the step that others were able to, as we have seen many times this year.”
The Silver Arrows still find a little consolation in the time table: the gaps were quite small in the first qualifying session of the weekend. P5 was only two tenths of a second away. Whether a comparison with RB driver Daniel Ricciardo and a gap of seven tenths to the top meets the demands of a team that once dominated is another matter.
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Millions of Dollars: Dale Earnhardt Jr. faces financial challenges and raises concerns with all the blame on NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt Jr. faces financial challenges and raises concerns with all the blame on NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals lack of profitability in NASCAR teams. The NASCAR Hall of Famer has always been vocal about the financial challenges and concerns that arise from owning a racing team in NASCAR. This is due to the current state of NASCAR and the reason why none of the teams are able to generate profits.
During an episode of his podcast, Dale Jr. Download, the 49-year-old driver shared his thoughts on the agreement between NASCAR and the teams. He discussed how he never made money as a team owner, including his Xfinity team, JR Motorsports, and how none of the teams can turn a profit under the current agreement.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed frustration with the overall situation and showed empathy towards the teams, understanding the significant amount of money invested behind the scenes. The financial situation of NASCAR teams seems to be quite complex after the new grant agreement, and NASCAR will likely need to address this issue to avoid future complications.
During the same conversation, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is also a team owner at JRM, shared an interesting detail about Denny Hamlin’s perspective on the profitability of NASCAR teams. According to Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of 23XI Racing, Hamlin supports the teams and is actively working to make them profitable.
Earnhardt Jr. revealed that he has had several discussions with Hamlin about the importance of profitability and how they have been collaborating behind the scenes to help teams achieve financial success. Only time will tell if these efforts will lead to improvements in the financial situation of NASCAR teams.
It shouldn’t have come from his mouth: Christopher Bell disgrace Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in public
We are where we belong: Lewis Hamilton ruthless after Mercedes bankruptcy
