Djokovic's practice sessions on the mornings of 13/1 and 14/1 were cut short, days after his arrival in Australia. The hot weather left the Serbian player fatigued, forcing him to stop. During the second practice on 14/1, he left the court after just 12 minutes due to a neck injury.

The injury made serving almost impossible for Djokovic. He received treatment from specialist Miljan Amanovic but did not resume training. He is scheduled to practice today, 15/1, on Rod Laver Arena but may opt for a lighter session on an outdoor side court.

Djokovic during a practice session on court 10 at Melbourne Park, Australia on 14/1. *Photo: Reuters*

Today also marks the Australian Open draw, and Djokovic will learn his opponents in his bracket around 7 PM Hanoi time. As the 4th seed, if he advances deep, he will likely face Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner in the semifinals.

Last season, Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the quarterfinals but then suffered a leg injury, forcing him to withdraw from the semifinal against Alexander Zverev. His most recent grand slam victory was the 2023 US Open.

Before arriving in Melbourne earlier this week, Djokovic announced his withdrawal from the ATP 250 event in Adelaide. He had previously won this tournament and often used it to prepare for the first grand slam of the year.

Djokovic holds the record for 10 Australian Open titles, including two championship hat-tricks – a feat unmatched in history. He is also pursuing the record of 25 grand slams, having last reached a final at the 2024 Roland Garros.

The year's first grand slam in Melbourne runs from 18/1 to 1/2. The total prize money for the Australian Open is USD 75 million, a 16% increase from last year. This places the Melbourne event ahead of Wimbledon, with its USD 72,2 million prize fund, but still behind the US Open (USD 90 million). The men's and women's singles champions will each receive USD 2,8 million, a 19% increase from USD 2,4 million 12 months ago.

Vy Anh