A look at Novak Djokovic's history of overcoming injuries to win the Australian Open

Novak Djokovic picked up a wrist injury during his United Cup campaign for Team Serbia this week, which doesn't bode well for his prospects of defending the Australian Open.

Djokovic struggled with wrist niggles during his three-set defeat of the Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka in Team Serbia's final group-stage match. The World No. 1's issues worsened during his country's quarterfinal match against Australia, as he fell to a 4-6, 4-6 loss to Alex de Minaur in his singles fixture.

The 24-time Major winner put his wrist injury on the back burner during his press conference, asserting that he's focused on the Australian Open — which begins on January 14.

"I think I'll be okay, to be honest," he said in the press conference following Serbia's United Cup exit. "You know, it did have quite an impact, you know, particularly on the forehand and serve. Again, I don't want to be spending too much time talking about it and taking away credit, the victory from de Minaur. I guess we move on, and for me, with my thoughts in Melbourne."

Incidentally, this is not the first time the 24-time Major winner has suffered from a minor physical setback in his preparations for the Happy Slam. Let's take a look at two other occasions where the Serb reigned supreme in Melbourne despite being injured.

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Novak Djokovic won the 2021 Australian Open with an abdominal tear

The Serb poses with the 2021 Australian Open trophy

In 2021, Novak Djokovic entered the Melbourne Major in good physical shape as he routed his first two opponents. The Serb was then two sets up against Taylor Fritz in the third round, and it was all smooth sailing until he slipped while chasing a shot, which pulled the right side of his abdomen.

Djokovic struggled massively from that point onwards, dropping the next two sets. However, he was able to wrest the match back in his control as he won the decider comfortably. The Serb was admittedly on the verge of withdrawing from the tournament due to the abdominal tear (which was later revealed to be 25 millimeters long) but willed himself to play on.

The then-33-year-old was far from his best in his next two matches against Milos Raonic and Alexander Zverev, respectively, both of whom took a set off him. He finally hit top gear in his semifinal and final matches against Aslan Karatsev and Daniil Medvedev, respectively, blitzing them in straight sets to win his eighth title in Melbourne.

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Novak Djokovic won the 2023 Australian Open after pulling his hamstring in Adelaide

Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning his quarterfinal match at the 2023 Australian Open

Novak Djokovic has gained a bit of notoriety for being on the ropes one moment, then on his opponent's neck the very next. The way some of his recent Major triumphs have transpired has been borderline ridiculous, with his last year's Melbourne triumph sitting atop this list of title victories that baffled the tennis universe.

The then-World No. 5 had strained his left hamstring during his tournament-winning campaign in Adelaide last January ahead of the 2023 Australian Open. He subsequently sported a heavy bandage on his thigh and received medical treatment regularly during the first week.

Although his movement was limited due to the hamstring strain, Djokovic compensated for it with some sharp, aggressive play. The Serb's forehand and serve were on song in all of his matches against top players during the second week.

Once again, his focus and mentality helped him get over the finish line. He defeated the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev in convincing fashion en route to a record-extending 10th Melbourne title, in what was a clear-cut message to the fans that the 36-year-old wasn't going anywhere.