Novak Djokovic has revealed the motivation behind his surprise decision to play doubles in Mallorca in preparation for his Wimbledon title defence.
The World No.1 shocked many when it was revealed that he would play his only grass-court warm-up event on the Spanish island – and he would be doing so in the doubles event
While many of his top rivals opted for the more traditional lead-up events at Halle, Queen’s and Eastbourne, Djokovic headed to Mallorca.
And the 19-time grand slam champion has since revealed that he did so in order to avoid having to go into lockdown in the UK and spend some more time with his family.
“I wanted to spend more time with my family because once you’re in London you are in lockdown,” Djokovic, who will now move into Wimbledon’s Covid-19 bubble, said.
Djokovic’s son Stefan was spotted practicing with him on court all week, with the Serbian star looking very refreshed and relaxed.
Djokovic opened up earlier this year about his desire for more family time with wife Jelena, son Stefan and daughter Tara.
At times it rips my heart apart,” Djokovic said about being away from his family after winning the Australian Open in February.
“I will have to revise my schedule comparing to the last year or any other season before this.
“Obviously time away from family definitely is something that has an impact on me.
“I’ll have to see with these rules and regulations and restrictions in place all over the world, Europe.
“Not being able to take my family on the road is something that is a big problem for me.”
The World No.1 followed through with that plan when he was a shock withdrawal from the Madrid Open in May.
