Novak Djokovic Provides Eye Injury Update Ahead of Monte-Carlo Masters
Novak Djokovic has opened up about the eye injury that affected his performance at the recent Miami Open final, revealing that he had been dealing with both an eye infection and a viral illness. The 24-time Grand Slam champion appeared on court with a visibly swollen eye during the final against Jakub Mensik, which he lost in two close tiebreak sets.
Initially, Djokovic chose not to speak publicly about his condition, insisting he didn’t want to make excuses for the loss. However, ahead of his appearance at the Monte-Carlo Masters, the world No. 5 confirmed that the issue began during his semi-final match in Miami and intensified before the final.
“It was [in doubt], particularly because of the infection of the eye and a little bit of a viral infection I’ve been dealing with last week, but it seems to be okay these days,” Djokovic explained, admitting that his participation in Monte-Carlo was uncertain at one point.
He added that he used eye drops during his warm-up sessions in Miami and struggled in the humid conditions. Despite the setbacks, Djokovic had shown top form throughout the tournament, reaching the final without dropping a set.
The Serbian star is scheduled to see a doctor in Monte-Carlo for further evaluation, but he remains optimistic about being ready for his first match. Thanks to his seeding, Djokovic has a bye into the second round, where he will face either Stan Wawrinka or Alejandro Tabilo.
Commenting on a potential clash with Wawrinka, Djokovic joked: “It would be a nice duel of veterans if we meet on the court. Maybe we would go down in history as the oldest matchup, who knows?”
Although he’s competing in Monte-Carlo, Djokovic is managing his expectations for this early part of the clay season. “I didn’t have much time to get used to this tournament, so my expectations are not really high. It’s more about getting matches in and peaking later in the season — most importantly, in Paris.”
Fans will be watching closely to see how Djokovic performs as he begins his campaign toward another French Open title.
