The Djokovic-Matteo Berrettini rivalry continues as the two square off again in the Qatar Open. Djokovic is back in action on Tuesday for the first time since retiring from his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev in injury when he suffered a thigh problem.
“I have the green light from the medical team that I can train, that I can prepare. Djokovic said ahead of the tournament
“Thank God, I was able to recover quickly. I’ve had more injuries lately than I did in the first 15 years of my career. This probably comes with age, but my body still listens to me, I still have a burning flame and a desire to achieve new things.
“I hope that the 100th trophy can come to Doha right now. I’ve been chasing it for a long time – it will come when it should come.”
The two men have previously clashed four times with Djokovic emerging victorious from all of their meetings. Three of these have been at Grand Slams, such as the eagerly awaited 2021 Wimbledon final. Perhaps their most memorable encounter was at the French Open, where Djokovic lost his temper after Berrettini came back from a match point to win. There was an electrifying rally in the fourth set, which was won by Berrettini, prompting Djokovic to blow the top. He smashed a fake serve, screamed at his support staff, and kicked a bill board. Despite Djokovic going on to win the match in four sets, Berrettini departed feeling confident after having seen his rival’s collapse.
“I’m just trying to remember the screams of Novak Djokovic at the end of the match because that means that he really felt in danger, it is a source of pride,” he said.
This drama occurred amidst a near-haunting ambiance. The stadium allowed just 5,000 spectators and the curfew had been moved to 11pm. But because the match was running behind schedule, it was suspended to enable the crowd to leave the arena, with Djokovic leading 3-2 in the fourth set. The spectacle of thousands of spectators filing out during the middle of the match generated outrage and criticism, with many upset at the timing of the interruption.
