Novak Djokovic reportedly ends long-time relationship with Ulises Badio, adds Jannik Sinner's former physiotherapist to team

Novak Djokovic, who landed in Australia on Tuesday (December 27) for the first time since his infamous deportation, has been seen training in Adelaide ahead of the ATP 250 Adelaide International.

The Serb commenced his practice sessions on Wednesday. However, his long-time physiotherapist Ulises Badio was a noticeable absentee.

While Novak Djokovic is yet to officially announce any new changes to his team, the 21-time Grand Slam champion was seen practicing with Italian Claudio Zimaglia, a physiotherapist and professor at Turin’s Academy of Osteopathy. Zimaglia is known to have been associated with Milos Raonic as well as Next Gen tennis stars Jannik Sinner and Brandon Nakashima in the past.

Badio, meanwhile, joined the former World No. 1's team in early 2017, when the Serb was facing significant issues with his elbow, and soon became an integral part of Djokovic's tennis career. Hailing from Argentina, Badio has a degree in kinesiology and physiotherapy, but he also practices manual therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

"As a physiotherapist, I had very clear goals since I was young, my dream was to work with the number one player. Years passed and finally in 2017, Novak asked me to treat him. He asked me to come to Roland Garros and here we are," Badio had said earlier.

Ulises Badio's reported replacement wouldn’t be the first notable change to Novak Djokovic’s team in recent times. The Serb's 2022 season was filled with numerous changes. His first major decision came in March as he announced that he was parting ways with his coach of more than 15 years, Marian Vajda.

Djokovic later declared that his physiotherapist Miljan Amanovic would no longer be traveling with him, as he was required at the Novak Tennis Center.

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"The team's been excellent so far" - Novak Djokovic’s team gets the nod from Adelaide International tournament director

Novak Djokovic during his first practice session in Adelaide

Novak Djokovic’s much anticipated arrival in Australia was followed by a rigorous training session in Adelaide. Alister MacDonald, the tournament director of the Adelaide International, was thrilled to welcome the reigning Wimbledon champion and gave a positive review of him and his team.

"He looked fantastic today," said MacDonald. "He's arrived in Adelaide ready to take on all the contenders here. He's looking sharp and his team's thrilled to be in Adelaide. He knows Adelaide pretty well, he knows what to expect, the conditions are pretty similar to Melbourne. So, I think his whole team is really, really happy to be here in Adelaide."

"Obviously, he's got a big team around him, he's very particular about the way he prepares and even today, being on the court for the first time, you really get a sense for the preparation that goes into each and every training session, and he's also very particular about his food. So, we're just making sure that he can get a good vegan feed and the team's been excellent so far," the director added.