Toni Nadal questions Novak Djokovic's injury legitimacy at Australian Open

Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach has joined others in questioning Novak Djokovic's hamstring injury that led to his withdrawal from the Australian Open semi-final. Toni Nadal, who coached Rafael for almost 30 years, also addressed the crowd's reaction to Djokovic's retirement.


In his column for El Pais, Toni Nadal expressed concerns about Djokovic's decision to retire against Alexander Zverev without attempting a medical timeout during the match.

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The crowd at Rod Laver Arena, who had paid over $400 for tickets, responded with boos and jeers when Djokovic retired from the match.


"I believe that a great champion like the Serbian, someone who has contributed to the most sublime pages in the history of tennis, should not leave any court in this way and, even less so Rod Laver Arena, where he holds the record for victories and titles," Nadal wrote.


"Respect ... is well deserved in the difficult moment, leaving the court that has seen him win so many times. I understand that the public showed their disappointment and anger at being deprived of the expected spectacle after having paid an entrance fee for it."



Toni Nadal suggested that Djokovic's history of playing through injuries has been marked by theatrical displays.


"Over the years, a certain suspicion has been fostered around Novak, due to his grimaces or histrionics, which has sown doubts about the veracity of his injuries," he stated.


"Suspicions began in his quarter-final match against Carlos Alcaraz. After losing the first set, and with obvious gestures of pain, the Serbian made it clear to his opponent and the general public he would hardly be able to continue his match. But the reality was he not only faced the rest of the match with total normality, but he even ended up winning it. Against Zverev, he played the entire first set with apparent normality and without visible signs of pain until he decided to abandon it just after the German won the first set."



Following the match, Djokovic explained that he was "upset" about his worsening hamstring tear. He mentioned trying everything possible to manage the pain.


Djokovic later shared an MRI image of his injured hamstring on social media to address skepticism about his condition.


"When a player faces physical problems in a match of this nature, he normally waits until the end to decide to retire," Toni Nadal continued. "He calls the physiotherapist, plays some games impaired and, only when he sees the inevitable fate, does he decide to retire. On more than one occasion we have seen Novak with similar performances, with facial gestures and body language that contradict what we are seeing on the court, and that sow certain doubts about the authenticity of his problems."


Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley had revealed in 2023 that Djokovic had won his tenth Melbourne Park title while dealing with a 3cm hamstring tear. However, athletes and medical experts disputed this claim.


Toni Nadal's coaching career includes guiding Rafael to numerous major victories, including 10 Roland-Garros titles, one Australian Open, two Wimbledon championships, three US Open titles, and an Olympic gold medal. Their partnership lasted until 2017. He later spent three years coaching Canadian player Félix Auger-Aliassime.