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Novak Djokovic says he played matches on anti-inflammatories before deciding elbow surgery was necessary

On Purpose with Jay Shetty · US OPEN Champs On What LOSING Feels Like Compared to Winning | Djokovic, Sabalenka, Osaka · August 31, 2026
Novak Djokovic says he played matches on anti-inflammatories before deciding elbow surgery was necessary
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
US OPEN Champs On What LOSING Feels Like Compared to Winning | Djokovic, Sabalenka, Osaka
"I've done it for like a year or something with playing uh under these pills like every single match to the point where I didn't feel pain anymore. Sorry, actually I felt the pain even if I was taking the full dose of anti-inflammatories and that's was the sign for me like I have to you know operate this I have to do something different."
Novak Djokovic says he managed a long-running elbow problem by taking anti-inflammatories match after match for about a year, despite normally avoiding such medication. He says he concluded he needed surgery when he still felt pain even on a full dose, and adds he was upset because he had promised himself he would not undergo surgery during his career.
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
On Purpose with Jay Shetty

US OPEN Champs On What LOSING Feels Like Compared to Winning | Djokovic, Sabalenka, Osaka

August 31, 2026 · 1h 18m · 2 Egleze moments
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