Novak Djokovic (Image via X)
Novak Djokovic‘s hamstring tear is not a joke and he could take two months to recover completely from it. ESPN’s Chris Fowler explained why Djokovic may end up missing the two ATP 1000 Masters events, Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
Djokovic struggled due to his muscle tear during his quarterfinal match at the Australian Open against Carlos Alcaraz. Although he managed to win it in four sets, he couldn’t continue the semifinal match he played against Alexander Zverev after losing the first set.
When Djokovic was struggling in the quarterfinal, many claimed the Serbian great faked the injury. Djokovic was also booed by the crowd when he threw the towel during the semifinal clash, while his critics questioned the severity of his injury.
He later shared the result of his MRI scan and according to Fowler, injuries like these force a player to stay on the sidelines for about two months.
This means Djokovic is likely to recover at least before the French Open. Though there’s a possibility of him missing the two Masters 1000 events in the United States, Djokovic would have opted out of the two tournaments because he has often stated in the past that he is focusing on just the Grand Slam events at this stage of his career.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion had participated at the Indian Wells last year and was defeated in the second round by Luca Nardi. He then skipped the Miami Open.
Andrea Petkovic questions herself for doubting Novak Djokovic
The odds were stacked against Novak Djokovic when he arrived in Melbourne. At 37, he was not the top contender to win the tournament. But after a forgetful season in 2024 on the tour, his performance at the Melbourne Slam proved his doubters, including Andrea Petkovic, wrong.
Djokovic, however, had hinted at retirement when, after his Australian Open exit, he stated that he was uncertain if he would be able to return to Melbourne next year. The injury on his left leg has forced him to withdraw from the upcoming Davis Cup Qualifiers against Denmark, and he is likely to skip the Qatar Open.