 "Toni Nadal says Novak Djokovic's performances often contradict his injury issues. Image: Reuters")
Rafael Nadal’s uncle and his former coach Toni Nadal has added to the criticism surrounding Novak Djokovic’s dramatic exit from the Australian Open 2025. Djokovic was forced to retire midway through his semi-finals against eventual losing finalist Alexander Zverev.
As Djokovic walked away from the court due to a tear in his left thigh, he was jeered by the fans at the Rod Laver Arena . Djokovic’s fitness had already divided opinions when he took a medical timeout against Carlos Alcaraz in the first set he lost before returning to win the quarter-finals in four sets.
During the Australian Open 2025 quarter-finals, Alcaraz seemed to have mocked Djokovic’s injury , while commentator John McEnroe remarked that it was a familiar sight — referring to Djokovic overcoming injuries to win matches.
‘There has been a growing suspicion around Novak’
Now, Toni Nadal has weighed in, explaining the uproar in the stands when Djokovic retired from his match against Zverev without requesting an injury time-out or consulting a physio.
“Firstly, I understand that the public showed their disappointment and anger at being deprived of the spectacle they had been expecting after having paid for it,” Nadal wrote in Spanish media outlet El Pais.
“The second and perhaps most significant reason is that over the years, there has been a growing suspicion around Novak, due to his expressions or histrionics, casting doubt on the authenticity of his injuries.
“When a player faces physical problems in such a match, they typically delay the decision to withdraw until the last moment.
“They call the physio, struggle through a few games with limitations and only when realising the inevitable, do they opt for retirement.
“On several occasions, we have seen Novak with similar performances, using facial expressions and body language that contradict what we see on the court, raising doubts about the authenticity of his issues.”
‘Djokovic truly deserves respect’
Toni Nadal, however, was also not kind to the tennis supporters who jeered Djokovic.
“I believe that a great champion like the Serbian, someone who has contributed to writing the most glorious pages of tennis history, should not depart in this manner from any court and even less so from the Rod Laver Arena, where he holds the records for victories and titles,” Nadal wrote.
“Respect, this is my personal feeling, he truly deserves in that difficult moment, without a doubt, of having to leave the court that has seen him triumph so many times.
“I can only imagine how hard it must have been for him to have to accept such an adverse reaction from the public.
“If it is already difficult to accept that one cannot continue fighting, it must be much more difficult if this is accompanied by the public’s incomprehension.
“I hope that the Serbian tennis player recovers well and that we can continue to admire his incredible game throughout the rest of the year, but also that he succeeds in transmitting to the public the confidence that a champion of his immense stature should have more than earned.”
Hitting back at ‘sports injury experts’ who questioned his withdrawal from the Australian Open 2025, Djokovic on Sunday had posted a scan of his injured left hamstring on social media.