US Open: Novak Djokovic Suffers Injury Scare, Wants Further Assessment

Novak Djokovic came into the 2019 US Open as the overwhelming favorite to win his third Grand Slam of the season and the Serbian has given the organizers a scare after revealing that he almost quit his second round match after suffering severe shoulder pain. He fought through the pain and the medical timeouts to win 6-4, 7-6, 6-1 against Juan Ignacio Londero.

The Serbian was reluctant to speak about his injury during the post-match interview but gave more insight during the press conference. It will be a massive blow to the tournament and the fans if Djokovic withdraws and it will leave a massive hole in the top half of the men’s singles draw and give Roger Federer, who is in the same half a massive opportunity.

Djokovic revealed that it is an injury that he has been carrying for a while now and the intensity of the pain varies from day-to-day. He admitted that it was very difficult for him to continue playing the game and he was uncertain during the first set if he will be able to complete the match.

"I was definitely tested," Djokovic told ESPN, as quoted on CNN. "This is something I've been carrying for quite a while now. I've been experiencing some days of higher intensity of pain, some days less. It has been really fluctuating a lot, going up and down."

"It was not easy to play with this kind of sensation, to be honest," Djokovic said. "I did not experience that too many times in my career. I was also lucky to find my way back in the second set and to win in the straight sets. I had obviously, you saw, a medical timeout. At changeovers, I tried to use within the rules as much as I can physiotherapy and medical help. That has definitely helped me stay in the match."

"The way it has started for me, especially midway through the first set, I didn't know if I would be able to finish the match. I'm really glad I have. I'm going to assess this injury tomorrow even more with further consultations with experts in sports medicine. I'm hoping that in two days' time I will be able to play pain-free, if that is possible."

Djokovic now has a day off on Thursday and will next face either Denis Kudla or fellow Serb Dusan Lajovic. He admitted that it was difficult to play with the pain and believes he did have some luck on his side, especially when he came back after being a double break down in the second set.

The Serbian joked that he is planning to freeze his hand for the next 48 hours in the hope that he will not have to deal with the pain when he gets back on court for his third round match. There is a very small chance that he pulls out of the tournament, especially the way he dominated the third set to win 6-1.