Does the term “faking injuries” ring a bell concerning Novak Djokovic ? Back in 2008, Andy Roddick’s infamous comments about Novak Djokovic’s injuries sparked a firestorm. Though it might have faded from memory for some, Roddick’s recent remarks about Djokovic’s recovery from another injury are sure to rekindle the flames of that debate.

On June 22, Andy Roddick, Genie Bouchard, and Steve Weissman discussed the upcoming Wimbledon among many other topics in the Tennis Channel Podcast’s latest episode. Inevitably, as the discussion drifted towards Djokovic’s Wimbledon participation, the 45-year-old ESPN sportscaster asked Roddick, “Novak Djokovic doing his best ticket ready for Wimbledon. He posted this on social media yesterday. What do you think of this movement?”

The 41-year-old American former tennis pro bluntly stated, “I was in the tournament once upon a time, but I was not doing this. He is not like us. He is a little bit different. This is incredible and I can’t believe it. The fact that he is posting this he wants the attention of  flirting with a Wimbledon bid and being healthy he is certainly not dealing with his injuries privately. This is crazy, the thing that he had surgery like a week ago.”

After having a rough season this year, with no titles to his name so far, the Serbinator fell out of his ATP No. 1 ranking as well. That’s not the end of his misery, as fate intervened before his French Open quarterfinal match. Suffering from a meniscus tear in his right knee, the 38-year-old made the bold decision to withdraw from the Roland Garros before facing Casper Ruud in his QF match. This further raised questions about his Wimbledon dreams for this season. Chin up! Echoing Djokovic’s injury, Taylor Fritz, who battled a similar issue, offered advice for a potential comeback.

Citing his own swift recovery from a similar meniscus tear at the 2021 French Open, Taylor suggests Novak Djokovic’s return for Wimbledon wouldn’t be unheard of. Fritz even shared his personal recovery experience with the 24-time Grand Slam champion: “A lot of it comes down to the inflammation and how you react. It’s possible for Novak to play.”

Fritz statement sheds light on the recovery process beyond the initial diagnosis. While the type of injury might be similar, Fritz emphasizes how individual responses to inflammation can significantly impact timelines. It suggests Djokovic’s potential return hinges on managing inflammation effectively, which could be a gamble but might pay off if addressed well.

As per the seven-time Wimbledon Champion’s latest Instagram posts, his recovery is going on point. Posting a training video, where he is doing an intense workout off-court, Djokovic showed little to no sign of discomfort. Apart from the drills, he is also hitting his racquet on-court as a part of his practicing routine before Wimbledon, which starts in only a week. Building on Roddick’s remarks, it seems he’s casting doubt on Djokovic’s injury status with a hint of sarcasm.

It was only a few weeks ago, when 2003 US Open champion recommenced Djoker to shut his remaining season and come healthy next year. “…he could just put a wrap on this season and have one final push next year. Let’s get healthy for next year.” Djokovic’s fans rallied behind him after Andy Roddick’s seemingly sarcastic comment regarding his injuries. But Djokovic himself has now entered the fray, sparking renewed debate. The question remains: does Roddick truly believe Djokovic’s injuries are minor? Roddick’s past comments ring a similar bell when it comes to Djokovic’s current injury claims.

’16 Injuries and Faking It?’: Djokovic denies Roddick’s claim

When Andy Roddick jokingly commented on how Novak Djokovic has faked “16 injuries” in his career, it did not sit right with the Serbian tennis pro. Therefore, after sealing victory against Roddick in two hours 34 minutes, the third-seeded Serb said in a courtside interview(back in 2008): “That’s not nice anyhow to say in front of this crowd that I have 16 injuries and I am faking it. I have nothing against anybody. Andy was saying that I have 16 injuries in the last match so obviously I don’t, right?”

Although their rivalry went on for a while after that and once they even got into a verbal fight, it eventually came to an end later. Djokovic also apologized for his previous remarks on the same and said, “He made a joke and it was a misunderstanding. I exaggerated, and I reacted bad in that moment. I apologize if I reacted like that.”

Leaving behind their past, Andy Roddick has frequently vocalized his admiration for Novak Djokovic. Despite this, his criticism of the Serbinator has also made fans quite skeptical at times.