“Seems a bit far-fetched,” Enzo Couacaud skeptical of Novak Djokovic’s hamstring injury citing example of Rafael Nadal missing many events with genuine concern
Enzo Couacaud maintains that it’s hard to believe that the Serb endured such pain throughout the fortnight especially when other ‘greatest’ players like Rafael Nadal gave up in the face of same difficulty.
Follow Us
Enzo Couacaud, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal
Serbian tennis maestro Novak Djokovic matched up with long-time rival Rafael Nadal in the Grand Slam tally after his triumph in the 2023 Australian Open. He is back at the top of the rankings after a dominating performance throughout the fortnight. And, the Serb is looking unstoppable in the current season.
After his historic showing Down Under, the 35-year-old firmly established himself as one of the greatest of the game. But, one factor still continues to trouble Djokovic, unlike Nadal. It is the hamstring injury that he suffered on the path to the title. Though he staved off the pain on the court, off-court the issue is still fresh.
There are many skeptics who believe that Nadal could not have continued with a major injury. Enzo Couacaud, the French-Mauritian professional tennis player, is one of them. He maintains that it’s hard to believe that the Serb endured such pain throughout the fortnight especially when other ‘greatest’ players like Rafael Nadal and Kylian Mbappe gave up in the face of the same difficulty.
“The injury he says he has, it’s significant, and a lot of combative athletes can’t continue with the same thing. Nadal had an injury, he could no longer run. There, Mbappé is out for two weeks. We are talking about the greatest athletes, not those who do not have access to care or the best equipment. Hard to believe that only one on earth can do it,” Couacaud explained.
There are some things that don’t make sense when compared to other athletes, Couacaud explains
There is no doubt that Novak Djokovic’s career has been much more scrutinized than his rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s. Despite all his achievements, Djokovic also attracts skeptics like no other names of the celebrated ‘Big Three’. The debate around his latest injury is following the same pattern and Couacaud is not the first one to do so.
“When you take the examples of Nadal or Mbappé, but especially Rafa, with an injury to Wimbledon, he couldn’t even serve. When you see the greatest who can’t set foot on the pitch and another who wins a Grand Slam by playing every day for 15 days. It still seems a bit far-fetched,” Couacaud claimed.
“There are little things that don’t make sense to me. I was always told not to stretch with an injury. You saw Novak stretching all the time. You say to yourself, either they have a new method in Serbia, or it’s weird. Little things like that, he has his staff, but I’m too far to judge the authenticity of anything. It is true that it seems hard to believe,” he continued.
Continue Reading:
Toni Nadal spells out Rafael Nadal’s future while drawing comparison with ‘fresher’ Novak Djokovic
Stay Updated!
Abhinavendu Singh
(290 Articles Published)