"I don't need distraction": 20 year first for Novak Djokovic, fumes at pre Davis Cup Finals win doping test

Friday, 24 November 2023 at 19:15

As well as taking his frustration out due to the rowdy British fans, Novak Djokovic seemingly had a different reason to be annoyed and sweep aside Cameron Norrie at the 2023 Davis Cup Finals.

Djokovic saw off Norrie 6-4, 6-4 as he booked a spot in the semi-finals of the Davis Cup Finals and told British fans to give him respect and be quiet after the win. But pre-match, he dealt with a different distraction - anti-doping officials.

Done in case of a late finish

In something which he described as a 20-year first in his career (now 37), Djokovic was made to have his blood and urine taken before the match for the simple reason that the match was going to be finished late in a decision that he found 'illogical' and baffling.

This was mainly due to Djokovic having to get himself into the zone to face off against Norrie and get ready for his match which is then heavily distracted by anti-doping officials.

"I had a brief discussion with people from the anti-doping agency. I didn't believe that they made such a decision, in 20 and more years of my career, it never happened to me that an hour and a half before the match I needed to go for doping control. I have my own routine, I don't need that distraction, to have my urine and blood taken, to think about whether I can give urine at that moment," Djokovic said, as quoted by SportKlub.

"Illogical situation and decision. They told me that one of the important reasons for that decision was that it would end late, so that they would give us more time to rest, but the day of the break was... People from the anti-doping agency would not stay late, that was another reason."

Team captain Viktor Troicki also believed that they got him mixed up initially with Miomir Kecmanovic who won the first match for Serbia en route to sealing the tie.

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😮💉🩸 Djokovic says that he had to undergo a doping test less than TWO hours before his match vs Norrie yesterday, called the scheduling ‘shameful’, and with Troicki suggesting they also initially got some players ‘mixed up’: “I haven't done a complete doping control yet, but I

1:24 PM · Nov 24, 2023

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