Jim Courier has revealed the crucial conversation he had with Novak Djokovic’s physio, providing a fitness update before tomorrow’s men’s Australian Open final.
While on paper it promises to be one of the most tantalising and hotly-contested matches in recent memory, with both players seeking their own slice of history, there is a fear that physical issues could derail that narrative.
After all, both players are coming off the back of gruelling five-set wins, and the Serbian superstar in particular is not as young as he used to be.
Fortunately, Courier has gained a crucial piece of insight from within Novak Djokovic’s team, which he shared just yesterday.
Jim Courier reveals his conversation with Novak Djokovic’s physio
Speaking live on Tennis Channel, the American, who had endured a busy day covering both men’s semi-final matches, joined the panel to discuss what we had just witnessed.
For some, that was one of the greatest days of tennis in Grand Slam history.
Who is winning in Sunday’s Australian Open final?
However, fortunately for Courier, his presence in and around the Rod Laver Arena allowed him to bump into some high-profile individuals, namely Djokovic’s physio.
He revealed: “I actually ran into his physio, Miljan Amanovic, between matches, and he told me that they had a really great day off before the match.
“The blister had finally dried out with a lot of alcohol, and it wasn’t really a problem. They’re gonna put that donut around the blister, the padding around it to keep the pressure off of it.
“He didn’t expect it would be a problem, and for four hours last night, it wasn’t a problem.”
It’s ironic that this fitness update is so crucial, despite the fact that it was Carlos Alcaraz who took the controversial medical time-out in his match vs Alexander Zverev.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz’s Australian Open race against time
As Courier would go on to say on the same broadcast, Sunday’s Australian Open final almost feels like a biological experiment to see how the body can react to such extreme levels of physical stress.
For Alcaraz, he played around five-and-a-half hours of tennis and suffered through terrible cramps, which will have left him sore afterwards.
Should Djokovic retire whatever happens in the Australian Open final and go out in a blaze of glory?
Djokovic, meanwhile, played only four hours and nine minutes, but his match did not finish until 1.33 am, giving him much less time to rest and recover.
Another crucial difference is the 16-year age gap between them, which will surely provide the young Spaniard with a far greater chance of returning revitalised for his next match.
If Djokovic is to make it a competitive final, and potentially win on Sunday, it might just be the greatest feat of physicality in the sport’s history.
