MADRID—World number one Novak Djokovic said that he was still struggling mentally to get back to his best after missing the Australian Open and a chunk of the early season due to him not being vaccinated against COVID-19.
The 20-times Grand Slam champion was unable to defend his Australian Open title in January after being deported from the country, having initially been admitted to the tournament despite not taking the vaccine.
The 34-year-old also sat out ATP Masters 1000 events in Miami and Indian Wells.
“The challenge is definitely more on the mental and emotional side,” Djokovic told a news conference on Sunday as he prepares to begin his Madrid Open campaign on Tuesday.
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