Novak Djokovic told he's 'f****d' after 'nightmare' injury at Australian Open
WATCH NOW: Sports round-up as former tennis star reacts to Novak Djokovic injury
Novak Djokovic is 'f****d' in the wake of his injury at the Australian Open.
That's according to former tennis star Andrea Petkovic, who thinks the Serb could be set for a long spell on the sidelines.
Djokovic suffered a hamstring injury during his win over Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open last week as he battled into the last four.
Though he was able to play through the pain during that showdown, he was later forced to withdraw after losing the first set of his semi-final clash with Zverev on Friday.
Novak Djokovic is currently waiting to learn the extent of his injury after suffering a hamstring problem at the Australian Open
REUTERS
Djokovic's injury was questioned at the time, with some figures - such as John McEnroe - expressing doubts.
The 37-year-old later took to social media to share an image of an MRI scan that confirmed a hamstring tear in his left leg.
In a pointed message to his critics, he wrote: “Thought I’d leave this here for all the sports injury 'experts' out there."
Reports have suggested that Djokovic could be out for as long as two months.
And Petkovic, speaking on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, believes things aren't looking good for the former world No 1.
“Honestly, I had unfortunately a lot of MRI pictures to look at and when you can see it that obviously that much liquid in the thing… I am not a medical person at all," she said.
“But I know, I have seen enough of them that when you have a big white blot that is this big, you are f****d basically.
“The thing is, Novak, he is getting older, but he is different in terms of recovery.
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“I always say that, and this is really important, if you start to do all these things Novak does tomorrow, you are not going to get the same effects.
“But since he was 17, he has been drinking green juices and doing yoga and doing his breathing exercises and meditation.
"But he has been doing this for 20 years. That’s why his body is in the shape that he can even play like this.”
Former WTA star Stubbs added: “He showed the scan, the tear in his hamstring.
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Thought I’d leave this here for all the sports injury “experts” out there. pic.twitter.com/ZO5mBtw9zB
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 25, 2025
"That’s a nightmare. That is minimally six weeks, minimally. I would say two months, minimally. Well then again, he’ll get in his hyperbaric chamber maybe," she said.
Djokovic has demonstrated in the past that he's capable of bouncing back from injury issues.
At the age of 37, however, it's unclear whether his body will be able to perform at the same high level as before.
With Djokovic forced out his semi with Zverev, the German proceeded to the final of the competition.
Novak Djokovic pulled out of his Australian Open semi-final clash with Alexander Zverev last Friday
REUTERS
However, the 27-year-old toiled on Sunday as Jannik Sinner beat him in straight sets to secure Grand Slam glory.
It was Sinner's third major of his career, having won the Australian Open and US Open in 2024.
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