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Former Australian tennis player John Alexander says rules governing how medical timeouts are used in tennis need to be changed after Novak Djokovic had treatment on his wrist after losing the second set of his United Cup tie against Jiri Lehecka.
The world number one went on to win the match 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-1 and help his country Serbia qualify for the quarterfinals of the tournament.
“I think when players so routinely are taking advantage of these rules and so obviously using them strategically to have an advantage tactically over their opponent, these rules need to be looked at a little bit more,” Alexander told the ABC Tennis Podcast.
Alexander says Djokovic’s use of medical timeouts during his career has cast a shadow on his accomplishments.
“The injury timeouts — if there is a question mark over his greatness in his entire career, it’s the way he has, in many people’s minds, strategically used injury timeouts,” said the former world number eight.
After the loss of the second set, take an injury timeout to have his wrist massaged for some five minutes, breaking the opponent’s concentration, maybe having thoughts entering into his opponent’s head ‘gee maybe he’ll default, I’m all over for the night’.
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“Then he picks himself up, wins the next five games, wins that third set 6-1.
“I have to say at this point I agree with many of my friends who say if they don’t see blood they don’t believe there’s an injury.”
Alexander added Djokovic may relish being under an injury cloud heading into the first major of the year.
“He’s entering the Australian Open as he did last year, under the cloud of injury, maybe that’s what he needs psychologically to do his best.”
