“There’s no longer any muscle tear. The injury is almost 100 percent healed and I’m ready to go for more victories,” Novak Djokovic declared confidently some time after his withdrawal at the Australian Open. A muscle tear had shattered his dream of a record-extending 25th Grand Slam and 11th Australian Open. As he moved on to the Middle Eastern swing, he claimed to be fully healed. But instead of his usual dominance, early exits followed. Then came the Miami Open. Just as he found his rhythm, an unexpected problem emerged. And now, ATP legend Boris Becker is highlighting how severe it was.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion stormed into the final without dropping a set, looking every bit like his vintage self. But 19-year-old Jakub Mensik had other plans. The Czech starlet outplayed the Serbian in two tight tiebreaks, winning 7-6, 7-6. The match itself was delayed by nearly six hours due to rain, but what really caught attention was Djokovic’s eye. Fans spotted it looking swollen in a practice session before the final, resembling a stye. Even during the match, he was seen applying eye drops to soothe the irritation.
Now, 6-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker is shedding light on just how serious the issue was. Speaking on his podcast “Becker Petkovic” alongside Andrea Petkovic, the German legend explained, “Not only does he have the best vision, but he actually needs both eyes, not just one. That’s why he wears glasses. He wears a contact lens. He probably couldn’t see anything out of one eye. That makes returning even more difficult, especially against a top player like Mensik. But credit where credit is due.”
Petkovic added, “Do you think he managed to put in his contact lens? His eye was so insanely swollen. For those who didn’t see it—it’s not an exaggeration, like a little stye or something. His eye was seriously swollen. That’s a good point because maybe he just couldn’t get the contact lens in and literally couldn’t see out of that eye.”
The 37-year-old has had trouble with contact lenses before. At the 2022 ATP Finals against Daniil Medvedev, he had to use eye drops during a changeover and even rushed off the court to fix his lenses. At the 2020 Australian Open, he claimed he “couldn’t see” and required a medical timeout to deal with a similar issue.
This time, though, Djokovic refused to dive into the details. In his interview, he said, “I really prefer not to talk about—there is quite a few things, but I prefer not to… just congratulate him. That’s it. I don’t want to sound like I’m giving excuses here for my loss.” He did admit, however, that the match had been unusual. “It’s unfortunate for me. Two tiebreaks, just a very weird match, a weird day with rain delay and all the things that were happening. Honestly, I didn’t feel my greatest on the court, but it is what it is. Nothing to take away from his victory,” the former World No.1 said.
That defeat meant Djokovic missed out on his 100th career title. Now, his sights are set on clay, where he’ll try again to reach the elite century club.
Novak Djokovic to search for his 100th title in the clay
Transitioning from hard courts to clay is no easy feat—even for Djokovic. He once summed up the challenge, saying, “Clay requires more energy, physically and mentally. You need to practice more in order to feel comfortable on it. It is tactically demanding as well, cat and mouse game. On clay, you need to defend better compared to other surfaces.”
Despite his greatness, clay hasn’t been his strongest surface. Out of his 99 career titles, only 20 have come on the red dirt. That said, he’s had monumental moments on it—winning the Paris Olympics in 2024 and lifting the Roland Garros trophy in 2023. Last year, he had to withdraw from the French Open quarterfinals against Casper Ruud due to a knee injury. This time, he looks set to go all in.
His next stop? The Monte-Carlo Masters—the ATP 1000 event where he’s gone the longest without a title. Monte Carlo has been a struggle for the 37-year-old in recent years. Before reaching the semi-finals in 2024, he had won just two matches in his previous three appearances. His last title there dates back to 2015, a surprising drought for someone of his caliber. Can Novak Djokovic finally crack the 100-title mark on clay?
The post He Wears a Contact Lens,” ATP Legend Reveals Why Novak Djokovic Might Have Faced Brutal Miami Final Heartbreak appeared first on EssentiallySports.