We need to be honest here. Djokovic sabotaged himself with this tantrum. I get it, it is his body, his choice. But, the consequences of not playing till April, with one match in Dubai is huge. He lost the rhythm, the drive, he is not feared. Tennis is a sport where you need matches to keep your level up, you need to play against the best all the time, to be on top. I can be the top dog in practice, but when matches come, the experience is huge. It should not be that difficult for him to beat Rublev, or Kecmanovic, we all know that. But, it can be difficult for Novak that did not truly play any tennis since November 2021.
Still, Rafa came guns a blazing after several injuries and no matches. I am thinking that the psychological effects of being detained, having a trial for all to see, being dragged through the mud, and not in a way he is used to, was extremely hard and it will take a lot of time for him to recover.