Thu Jan 23 19:51:48 IST 2025: ## Djokovic’s Injury Raises Eyebrows After Australian Open Quarterfinal Win
**Melbourne, Australia** – Novak Djokovic’s quarterfinal victory over Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open 2025 has been overshadowed by controversy surrounding a visible thigh injury. The 37-year-old Serbian, while ultimately securing a hard-fought win, appeared to struggle with mobility throughout much of the match.
Djokovic took a medical timeout while trailing in the first set, which Alcaraz won 6-4. The Serbian’s movement remained noticeably hampered in the early stages of the second set. However, he staged a remarkable comeback, winning the next two sets and the match.
Following the match, Alcaraz, while stopping short of directly accusing Djokovic of feigning injury, acknowledged the stark difference in the Serbian’s movement before and after the medical timeout. “I think everybody saw in the second set he was struggling a little bit (with) moving,” Alcaraz commented. “Then the third and fourth set, I didn’t see anything bad from him,” he added, clarifying he wasn’t accusing Djokovic of faking the injury.
Tennis legend John McEnroe, however, offered a more skeptical view during commentary. McEnroe, expressing his lack of belief in the extent of Djokovic’s injury, warned Alcaraz to not be “fooled” by such tactics, suggesting this was not the first time Djokovic has employed this strategy. The incident has sparked debate about sportsmanship and the use of medical timeouts in professional tennis.
First Piper 