“Don’t believe there’s an injury,” Novak Djokovic gets brutally called out by former Australian ATP icon while he faces an injury scare before Australian Open 2024

Djokovic's strategic medical timeout gets called out by John Alexander.,

“Don’t believe there’s an injury,” Novak Djokovic gets brutally called out by former Australian ATP icon while he faces an injury scare before Australian Open 2024

John Alexander and Novak Djokovic (Credits: Tennis Australia/ESPN)

Former Australian tennis player John Alexander has lashed out against the current rules and regulations regarding the medical timeouts taken by players during mid-game and how some players misuse this special provision to their advantage in the match.

The retired Australian player lashed out against Novak Djokovic and raised concern over the Serbian’s use of medical timeouts in the match. He called for a need to change the rules that concern the provision of granting such time-outs to players. Adding further to this issue, the former World No.8 stated, 

 I think when players so routinely are taking advantage of these rules and so obviously using them strategically to have an advantage tactically over their opponent, these rules need to be looked at a little bit more.
John Alexander via ABC Tennis Podcast

The former Australian player openly condemned the use of strategic medical timeouts by the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. The reigning US Open champion called for a medical timeout after he lost the second set of his United Cup match against Czech Republic player, Jiri Lehecka. He went on to win the match and lead his nation to the quarter-finals of the tournament, where they faced the Australian team.

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Alexander claimed that all the fantastic achievements of the World No.1 are overshadowed by his constant use of the strategic medical time out method to make his opponent lose momentum during an intense match where things are going against him. The 72-year-old added, 

The injury timeouts — if there is a question mark over his greatness in his entire career, it's the way he has, in many people's minds, strategically used injury timeouts.

John Alexander criticizes the misuse of the medical time-out facility by Novak Djokovic

As the 24-time Grand Slam champion led his team to the quarter-finals of the United Cup by defeating the Czech Republic, former Australian tennis player, Alexander was not too happy with what had taken place during that match after the Serbian lost the second set and called for a medical timeout to break the momentum of his opponent.

Talking further about this incident, the former tennis player stated, 

 After the loss of the second set, take an injury timeout to have his wrist massaged for some five minutes, breaking the opponent's concentration, maybe having thoughts entering into his opponent's head 'gee maybe he'll default, I'm all over for the night.
Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Credits: Open Source/X)

He blatantly condemned this gesture by the Serbian great as he went on to gather himself and win the third set, 6-1. The former World No.8 went as far as to say how he will not believe an injury has occurred unless he witnesses blood on the tennis court. The veteran further said:

Then he picks himself up, wins the next five games, wins that third set 6-1. -- I have to say at this point I agree with many of my friends who say if they don't see blood they don't believe there's an injury.

Alexander made this statement as a sarcastic dig at the 2023 ITF World Champion after claiming that his act of injury was just a hoax and nothing more than a strategy to put off his opponent while he gets some time to make a solid comeback in the match.

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