Djokovic admits his problem: "It's something related to my health, but I don't want to reveal it"

The world of tennis has been suffering in recent months with the performances of Novak Djokovic. The Serbian is far from his best moment, something easily diagnosed by looking at his results and, above all, seeing his feelings. Today's at the ATP Beijing 2026 were once again poor, although this time he managed to win.

Coming back from a losing set, the Balkan turned the scoreboard around against Bu Yunchaokete, demonstrating that he still has the ambition and hunger to win matches that previously were not a challenge. But now the situation is different; something happens in his body every time he steps onto the court. Can he continue at the highest level at 39 years old? Djokovic himself tried to explain it in a press conference shortly afterward.

Djokovic analyzes his great comeback against Yunchaokete

“It means a lot. When you win after losing the first set and really need to work to get back into the match, in a way it feels like a double victory, because you're proud of yourself and the effort. Mentally, when you’re behind, it’s always harder, because there’s more stress and pressure. You know you have to do things right to come back into the match. Today was such a case. Honestly, in the second set, I thought I should have closed it out. Before the tiebreak, I had break points at 3-2, 4-3, and 5-4. Every time I needed it, he made his first serve. He placed his first serve incredibly well, played aggressive and inspired tennis. I had never faced him before; I know he beat Jódar in three sets at the US Open, and now I can understand why. He’s a great player, with a lot of quality, a great fighter, and physically seems to be in great shape. It was an exciting match to be a part of.”

Djokovic explains why he is struggling so much with his body

“I don’t want to go into details because then it will seem like I’m complaining or looking for excuses. The truth is that this year has been a huge struggle for me, with some specific issues I’ve had. I’ve tried to find different ways to at least be in decent physical and health conditions to be on the court and compete against the player in front of me. If the player beats me, if he’s better, then that’s fine. Most of the matches and tournaments I’ve played this year have been a real struggle for me physically, but that has nothing to do with stamina. People mix it up; it’s not stamina, it’s something more related to health. I don’t want to reveal what it is, but I’m trying to get to the bottom of the problem with my team.”

Struggling to find his tennis level

“Sometimes it works better and sometimes it doesn’t. Today, surprisingly, something happened that I hadn’t experienced this year: in the third set I managed to break that barrier and felt better. Towards the end of the second set and throughout the third, I felt fresher than I had at the start of the match. I hope that with everything we’re doing, I can be in decent and controlled conditions for the next match and upcoming tournaments. It’s not fun to feel this way on the court, because I’m investing my emotional, mental, and physical energy in the problems I have rather than thinking about the game and how I can beat my opponent. Today’s third set was really enjoyable from that perspective. I was finally able to play tennis without really thinking about all the other things that were happening.”

Undefeated in Beijing and filled with affection

“I’m delighted to have had a full stadium for my first two matches. It’s something I could only dream of. I believe every tennis player dreams of playing in front of a full stadium in every match. I’m grateful to be in this position and to receive this support and affection from the people here. The Chinese love tennis and racquet sports. China has a long tennis tradition, not only because of its tournaments but also because of the many players of different ages who have been successful over the years, especially on the women’s side. The facilities that China has for tennis are impressive. I really want to give them the recognition and credit they deserve. It’s incredible that China, as a country, wants to invest in our sport. As a tennis player, I feel truly privileged to be part of such events.”

Novak Djokovic doubts about his future

“I’m not very clear about it right now; at this moment, I’m also not qualified for Turin. This year I would like to play if I qualify; I also plan to play Paris-Bercy. For Shanghai, I still don’t know; I need to see how I feel here and then I will make a decision.”

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic admite su problema: “Es algo relacionado con mi salud, pero no quiero revelarlo”