John McEnroe offers positive Novak Djokovic opinion after injury setback – ‘Who can blame him at this point?

It may be some time before Novak Djokovic returns to the tennis court, as reports suggest he could be sidelined for “a couple of months” due to a hamstring injury. Djokovic’s quest for an 11th Australian Open title ended in heartbreaking fashion during the semi-finals against Alexander Zverev, after he had already battled through pain in the quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz.

Despite managing to defeat Alcaraz in four sets, Djokovic’s discomfort was evident, and in the semi-final against Zverev, he could only complete one set, ultimately retiring after losing the first set 7-6 (7-5). The injury—confirmed as a hamstring tear—forced Djokovic to withdraw, a decision that drew boos from the Rod Laver Arena crowd. He later explained that he had done everything possible to manage the injury, but the pain became too much to bear.

Facing speculation over the severity of his injury, Djokovic responded by sharing a scan of the tear on social media, taking aim at the “sports injury ‘experts’” who doubted his condition. The injury also caused him to pull out of Serbia’s Davis Cup tie against Denmark and the Qatar Open.

ESPN’s Chris Fowler has indicated that Djokovic could be out for months, as hamstring injuries are notoriously difficult to treat. The injury is located in the deepest part of the muscle, which lacks sufficient blood flow for rapid recovery. Fowler emphasized that rushing back could risk further damage.

With two major ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in March—Indian Wells and the Miami Open—it seems unlikely Djokovic will return by then. However, John McEnroe sees a silver lining: Djokovic should be ready for the French Open, and missing the start of the clay-court season might give him ample recovery time for a successful return.