Borna Coric Outlines Return Date Following Surgery - UBITENNIS

Borna Coric Outlines Return Date Following Surgery

The Croat also shares his view about Djokovic’s stance regarding the COVID-19 vaccination.

By Adam Addicott
4 Min Read
Borna Coric - US Open 2020 (via Twitter, @usopen)

After being sidelined from the Tour for almost a year, Borna Coric is nearing his return to professional tennis with his sights set on playing in a key Masters 1000 tournament next month.

The 25-year-old has been absent from the Tour since March after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder two months after playing in the Rotterdam Open. At the time Coric said he underwent the procedure in order to find a ‘permanent solution’ to the pain he had been experiencing for some time. However, the recovery process has been slower than hoped. This season he has withdrawn from events in Montpellier, Rotterdam and Dubai after originally being on the entry list to play.

Providing an update on his current fitness during an interview with gol.hr, Coric admitted that at one stage he feared for the future of his career due to the severity of his shoulder problem. He has been ranked as high as 12th in the world and won two Tour titles.

“(The) last two months have been better, I’m playing at a decent level,” said Coric.
“There absolutely was (fear about his career). Until eight weeks ago… I didn’t want to say that I didn’t believe it but I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. I started practicing and then I saw that I could do it.”

The ultimate test for Coric will be on the court when he returns to action in the coming weeks. He plans to play at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells next month which will kick-off his 2022 season. Coric reached the semi-finals of the tournament back in 2018 where he lost to Roger Federer.

“I don’t take any pills after five years so I’m happy. We just can’t know what (will happen) when the official match comes, but I’ve passed all the tests.” He said.

During his absence on the Tour, one topic which has dominated men’s tennis in recent time is Novak Djokovic and his decision not to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The world No.1 says he still has reservations about what impact the vaccination could have on his body and argues that everybody has a right to choose.

Giving his own view on the debate, Coric says he is not surprised by Djokovic’s refusal to change his mind on the matter despite risking the possibility that he may be forced to miss some tournaments in the future, including Indian Wells next month.

“He is his own man and can do whatever he wants. I got vaccinated, but I don’t have much to add. That is his decision and I respect that. He did not surprise me, we all know how strong he is in his head and that he will not give up under pressure.” Coric commented.

The Indian Wells Masters will begin on March 7th.

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