Novak Djokovic said that this year had been a huge struggle for him, but insisted that this was not due to endurance problems but rather was related to an undisclosed health problem, after he needed a time out for treatment again at the China Open on Friday.
The 39-year-old Serbian player vomited in the middle of his match at the US Open and suffered from back and shoulder problems that affected his serves in the final stages of the match. He also needed a time out for treatment during his first-round victory over Portuguese Nuno Borges in Beijing.
"I don't want to go into details because that would sound like I'm complaining about something or looking for excuses," Djokovic said in a press conference. "The truth is that this year was a very big struggle for me, as I faced some specific problems. I was just trying to find different ways to be able to at least provide myself with a decent physical and health condition so that I can be on the court and compete with the player on the other side of the net. Most of the matches and tournaments I played this year were a very tough physical challenge for me. And it's not about being able to Endurance. People confuse the two. It's not a matter of endurance but something more related to the health aspect."
Djokovic did not go into details about the problem, but said that he and his team are still trying to find its origin.
He added, "In fact, and what is surprising, something happened that I have not experienced this year so far, as I was able to make a strong start in the third set. I felt better. As the second set approached its end and throughout the third set, I felt more energetic and energetic than I was at the beginning of the match. It is not fun when you have this feeling on the court, as I find myself depleting my emotional and mental energy, as well as physical energy of course, more on the problems I face instead of thinking about the match and how to win against my opponent."
Djokovic won a record number of titles in the China Open, amounting to six titles, the last of which was in 2015, before returning to participate in the tournament this season.
The Burkinabe Football Federation announced that its country's national team was stranded on Friday evening in the Moroccan city of Casablanca due to the lack of transportation, on the eve of an international friendly match that it was supposed to play against Argentina in Buenos Aires.
The "Horses" team remained in the Moroccan economic capital after defeating the Central African Republic 1-0 on Monday in the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifiers.
He was then scheduled to head to Buenos Aires, but “the national team’s travel was subject to disruption following the cancellation of the flight originally scheduled for September 30 (Wednesday) by the party leasing the plane and without prior notice,” according to what the federation said in a statement.
The federation added, "Various options were studied to reorganize a new departure date, but restrictions related, especially to the duration of travel, raised reservations among the players," without providing further details or being able to confirm whether the team will be able to reach Argentina in time.
The match is scheduled to start on Saturday at 21:00 local time (02:00 am on Sunday, Paris time).
This match would have been the second in a series of three friendly matches for Argentina, after its victory over Bolivia 4-0 on Wednesday evening in Cordoba, and before the expected date against Benin next Tuesday at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, which will give the Argentine fans an opportunity to bid farewell to their legend, Lionel Messi.
England coach Thomas Tuchel said before facing Croatia in the European Nations League on Saturday that Manchester City's conviction for violations of the English Premier League's financial regulations has become a major topic of discussion within the England national team camp.
The England national team includes midfielder Elliot Anderson and centre-back Mark Jehi from City, while left-back Nico O'Reilly has returned to the club due to injury.
In response to a question about whether the players were discussing the decision and whether he had spoken with City players, Tuchel said: “I think so. We had some time off between matches, which is a big and prominent issue. Everyone is talking about this, so no other voice is needed. I'm glad I'm not that voice. No one needs my limited knowledge on this subject. Of course the players talk about it. City players are talking about him. We talk to them, but very briefly. "They are ready for tomorrow's match, but of course it is a major topic in the camp."
Tuchel was also asked if he would continue to select City players for the national team squad if the club were relegated from the Premier League, and the German coach said: “There is always a possibility. I will always try to choose the best lineup for the camp, event and tournament. I would never rule it out just because they don't play in the top flight in their country. We have to evaluate each case individually.”
Tuchel said, “Having three break days made a big difference for us, which allowed us to take care of the players who made a great effort, like Anderson and Gordon, for example.” Everyone trained today except O'Reilly, who had to leave the camp to receive treatment and leave as quickly as possible. His discomfort was so painful that he could not be on the field. As for the rest of the players, they started and finished today’s training at a high level.”
