What was meant to be a moment of glory for Novak Djokovic, a historic chance to capture the 25th Grand Slam title, was halted by injury. The Serb’s run came to an early end in the semifinals when a muscle injury forced him to retire after just one set against Alexander Zverev. Just to compound matters, the 37-year-old left the court, amid jeers and heckles from the fans. But this was not the end of the drama. The injury story developed into a colossal tussle: some suggested he could have been faking it. And it was all downhill from there. To silence the critics, the 37-year-old showed an MRI scan that displayed the full extent of his torn muscle image effectively putting all those doubts to rest. And now, former pros have also weighed in on Djokovic’s injury and backed the Serb!

Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick assessed his injury on Andy Roddick’s Podcast ‘Served’. Clijsters, 2011 Australian Open champion reflected, “The key with Novak is, we’re so used to seeing him get through everything with his recovery thing that he does and with his mental strength.”

“It is almost like we just think it is normal that he will heal from it during the tournament. And then people question whether or not he is selling the truth when it is happening. That is when I am like, it is like, it is already annoying enough when you have a problem and you don’t want people to question whether you are being honest or not and right like. It’s annoying. And I do feel like with him, people are questioning a lot of it. I remember people saying like I even don’t know if he had a knee surgery…,” she added 

Andy Roddick weighed in with a different perspective, “I just fear that at that age if you get into the cycle of rehab, do you get to the point where you can turn enough, to make your body strong enough and at certain point your body…”

Roddick explained Djokovic’s exceptional court coverage remains a key part of his game, but it requires extreme flexibility and agility. “He’s been literally covering ground, digging out of corners—he’s like gumby, as far as how he contorts his body and puts himself in these positions. And it’s so weird, we act surprised every time someone gets older! Oh my god, can you believe it? It’s going to happen, I am just curious,” Roddick added.

The injury saga started in a match against Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 Australian Open. Novak Djokovic, chasing yet another milestone, suddenly found himself in trouble—grimacing, struggling with movement, and calling for a medical timeout late in the first set. A leg injury? It sure looked like it.

He had his left thigh strapped, and for a while, it seemed like the match was slipping away. But then, just as he has done so many times before, Djokovic adjusted. He went ultra-aggressive, flipped the momentum, and surged to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over his young rival.

But was the injury real? Not everyone was convinced. Commentating for ESPN, John McEnroe didn’t hold back. “This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this routine. Don’t be fooled,” the seven-time Grand Slam champion said.

After his semifinal exit against Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic addressed the criticism surrounding his injury, including John McEnroe’s pointed remarks. Djokovic said, “To be honest, I haven’t seen these comments, so I can’t say more,” he said. “I can say that it’s always easier to judge and criticize than to understand. It’s a lesson I’ve learned in life.”

Djokovic then put the controversy to bed. On January 25, he took to X to share an MRI scan of his injured hamstring. “This here for all the sports injury ‘experts’ out there,” he wrote, with a hint of sarcasm.

But coming back to Novak Djokovic his time with injuries has been pretty recurrent off late with Serb suffering multiple injuries.

Novak Djokovic’s recurrent physical challenges off late

Novak Djokovic, who revealed that it was a muscle tear after the match, is set to miss Serbia’s Davis Cup clash against Denmark, starting on January 31. And it seems that Serbia can be out for a couple of months.

Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open injury wasn’t a one-off. It was the latest chapter in a recurring theme that has shadowed his career in recent years.

Just last year, Djokovic was forced to withdraw from the French Open after tearing the medial meniscus in his right knee during a fourth-round victory. The injury, confirmed by an MRI, ended his title defense and cost him the No. 1 ranking. He had been set to face Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals, but his campaign came to an abrupt halt.

This wasn’t the first time Djokovic played through pain. In 2023, he won the Australian Open despite a hamstring tear. Two years earlier, he captured the same title while managing an abdominal tear. Time and again, the Serbian has battled through injuries.

At 37, the strain of these setbacks is undeniable and while Djokovic’s ability to manage injuries has fueled his dominance, the toll on his body is only growing.