Novak Djokovic told he has a 'nightmare' injury issue as minimum expectation of his time out is estimated

Rennae Stubbs and Andrea Petkovic discussed the severity of Novak Djokovic’s injury and how long he may be out.

The 37-year-old is set for a spell on the sidelines after tearing his hamstring at the Australian Open.

He appeared to sustain the problem during his quarter-final victory against Carlos Alcaraz and it only worsened during Djokovic’s semi-final against Alexander Zverev.

This is not the way the former World number one wanted to start the year as he pursues a 25th Grand Slam title, but he is working hard to come back stronger.

Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images

What does Rennae Stubbs and Andrea Petkovic say about Novak Djokovic’s injury?

Novak Djokovic tried to fight through the pain, but he was forced to retire after just one set against Zverev in the semi-finals.

Djokovic will now miss Serbia’s Davis Cup tie against Denmark on Friday and likely the Middle Eastern tournaments in Dubai and Doha, in addition to the Indian Wells and Miami events in March.

Rennae Stubbs and Andrea Petkovic have discussed the severity of Djokovic’s injury and how they expect him to rebound. “That is a nightmare. That is minimally six weeks. I would say two months, minimally,” Stubbs said.

Petkovic added: “Honestly, I have had a lot of MRI pictures to look at and when you can see that obviously that much liquid. I am not a medical person.

“But I know, I have seen enough. When you have a big white blot, you are f—— basically. The thing is Novak is different in terms of recovery.

More Tennis News

“I always say that, and this is really important, if you are to do all these things Novak does you are not going to get the same effect.

“But since he was 17 he has been drinking green juices and doing yoga. He has been doing it for 20 years. That’s why his body is in this shape.”

Photo credit should read ANDREW YATES/AFP/GettyImages

Novak Djokovic defended by Victor Troicki after he was booed at the Australian Open

After Djokovic retired from his Australian Open semi-final due to injury, he was booed off the court by the crowd.

He was almost in disbelief during his post-match press conference about his reception, and fans online criticised the crowd for the treatment of a 10-time Australian Open champion.

Djokovic has also been backed by Serbia’s Davis Cup captain Viktor Troicki, who was shocked by how the crowd responded to Djokovic’s injury.

“The reality is that a large portion of the crowd booed when he retired, something I don’t believe happens in any other sport,” Troicki told BOLA VIP. “Not even in football, where the crowd usually behaves more aggressively.

“When someone gets injured in football, even the opponent applauds and wishes for your recovery, which is why it was surprising to see something like that, especially in a place where Novak has played his best tennis and won ten titles.

“It was tremendously disrespectful and disappointing; mocking an athlete during a tournament is unacceptable.”

Click here to read article