Novak Djokovic leaves court with physio as injury fears raised in Carlos Alcaraz clash

Novak Djokovic Leaves Court for Medical Time Out Against Carlos Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open quarter-final match against Carlos Alcaraz took a concerning turn when the world No. 7 left the court with the physio due to an apparent injury.

Injury Concerns for Djokovic

Djokovic, 37, started grimacing after points and was broken, giving Alcaraz the opportunity to serve for the first set at 5-4. He called the trainer and gestured to an issue around his groin area before walking off Rod Laver Arena for a medical time out.

Djokovic’s Struggles

Djokovic, who was the underdog against world No. 3 Alcaraz, broke immediately to start the match but Alcaraz quickly got back on serve. Djokovic started to struggle, venting towards his box and pulling up after some rallies. The Spaniard broke again to take a 5-4 lead, prompting Djokovic to call the physio.

Commentary and Analysis

Commentators Naomi Cavaday and Tim Henman noted Djokovic’s struggles, with Cavaday saying, “Not a surprise that the physio is out on court. It feels like a bit of a struggle for Djokovic right now.” Henman added, “Looks like he was just touching his groin area. Going off the court.”

Alcaraz Waits

Alcaraz waited at his bench, knowing that the first set would be on his racket when play resumed. The No. 3 seed stayed warm by practising shadow swings at the baseline.

Medical Time Out

The trainer assessed Djokovic’s condition off the court before deciding to give an allotted medical time out. The umpire announced the decision to the fans as Djokovic headed down the tunnel.