Novak Djokovic and his complicated relationship with fans go hand in hand. This Thursday, the drama unfolded once again, adding another chapter to his contentious narrative. Djokovic, known for his remarkable resilience, was unfortunately struck by injury during his Quarterfinals match. For most athletes, such a moment would elicit a wave of sympathy and support. But in Djokovic’s case, the reaction from fans has been decidedly mixed.

Djokovic defied the odds to reach the Paris Olympics semifinals, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in a thrilling 6-3, 7-6(3) match. However, the 37-year-old’s triumph was overshadowed by renewed concerns over his right knee. The Serbian champion moved gingerly in the early stages of the second set as the pain in his knee was evident. The once-jubilant crowd fell silent as Djokovic visibly struggled, giving Tsitsipas a golden opportunity to clinch the set.

Despite seeking medical attention twice(first at 0-3 and again at 1-4), Djokovic displayed incredible resilience. A pivotal moment came when he unleashed a powerful forehand while sliding, showcasing a remarkable blend of courage and skill. His ability to save three set points was a testament to his mental toughness. As he advances to the next round, the question remains: can his body hold up for the remainder of the Olympics?

While the victory propels Djokovic into the semifinals, concerns over his knee persist. Soon after the match, Djokovic revealed the woes he faced. “I am very worried, to be honest. I don’t know what to say. The pain was very strong for two games after it happened. I don’t know if I slipped or what happened. It resembled Roland Garros, where I managed to close out the match, only to find out that the injury was serious.”

But fans, are not ready to buy his statements. Despite Djokovic explaining his side, fans believe that the medical time-out that the Serb took was to break the momentum of his Greek opponent. 

Djokovic accused of making ‘excuse’ in the match

Djokovic’s critics are in disagreement with everything that the player is highlighting. Taking to X, one user shared the picture of Djokovic with his physio and wrote, “The momentum with Stefanos, so…” While many accused Djoker of faking the act to break Tsitipas’ momentum, the former world number one will undergo further evaluation before facing Lorenzo Musetti on Friday. While this already casts a doubt on his chances of securing the elusive Olympic gold medal, the series of backlashes continued.

Responding to the tweet, another user wrote, “how convenient,” highlighting that people might not question his timeout given the recent surgery he went through. For the unversed, Djokovic tore the medial meniscus in his right knee during his French Open quarterfinals in early June. He decided to withdraw from the tournament despite sailing into the quarterfinal and went for surgery. Another fan shared similar sentiments.

“…🥱🥱🥱 always the same lame unsportsmanlike things 🙄👹 he is so laughable,” the user wrote. Djokovic’s tryst with injuries and medical timeouts is not new. The Serb has faced severe criticism for taking timeouts in the past as well. During his Australian Open campaign last year, Djokovic suffered some problems in his left leg.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion took medical timeouts in his second and third-round matches and won both of them. He was criticized for faking his pain back then as well. But Djokovic had hit back at the critics. “Only my injuries are questioned. When some other players are injured, then they are the victims, but when it is me, I am faking it. It is very interesting. I don’t feel that I need to prove anything to anyone.” In the latest act, more X users joined the fray to share similar sentiments. 

Taking to the platform, another user wrote, “Geez.. always the same story🤬” Djokovic has taken such MTOs on very crucial occasions. In the 2020 Australian Open finals against Dominic Thiem, Djokovic took a medical timeout citing a lack of energy. But since the incident happened right when his opponent was taking control of things, he was accused of fakery. He also took a similar break in the 2016 US Open final against Stan Wawrinka and the Swiss even complained against him to the umpire. 

One more user simply highlighted that Djokovic makes up excuses to win the match. “ND’s excuse mtos are undefeated,” the user wrote. As the tournament progresses, it would be interesting to see if the Serb gets more problems due to his injured knee or if he can continue to demonstrate resilience to win big at the Olympics.