Toni Nadal offered an explanation for why Novak Djokovic was booed off court at the Australian Open.
The Serbian experienced a rather unpleasant end to his campaign at Melbourne Park, where he was trying to win the title for the 11th time.
The 37-year-old reached the semi-finals where he faced Alexander Zverev, but the match lasted just one set.
After losing the first set, Novak Djokovic retired from the match after no longer being able to manage a muscle tear in his leg.
Why does Toni Nadal think Novak Djokovic was booed at the Australian Open?
Zverev and Djokovic engaged in a gruelling one hour and 21-minute opening set, in which neither player experienced a break of serve.
The World number two took the first set via a tiebreak, after which Djokovic decided to stop playing as the pain in his leg became too much to play through.
What followed was something very unexpected, as Djokovic was subject to jeers and boos as he walked off the court.
Viewers around the world were stunned by the crowd reaction, and now Toni Nadal, the nephew and former coach of Rafael Nadal, thinks Djokovic has developed a certain reputation regarding his injuries, which was used against him in Australia.
“When a player faces physical problems in a match of this nature, he normally waits until the end to decide to retire,” the 63-year-old told El Pais.
“He calls the physiotherapist, plays a few games impaired and, only when he sees the inevitable fate, does he decide to retire.
“On more than one occasion we have seen Novak with similar performances, with facial gestures and body language that contradict what we are seeing on the court and that sow certain doubts about the authenticity of his problems.”
Will Novak Djokovic play at the Australian Open again?
There is some uncertainty around the future of Djokovic and whether he will compete at the Australian Open again.
However, the Serbian still maintains a desire to play tennis and compete for Grand Slam titles, and if he is healthy, he will not want his final memory on Rod Laver Arena to be walking off to boos from the crowd.
In the press conference following his semi-final exit, Djokovic shared his thoughts on the crowd booing him as he left the court. “I don’t know what to say,” he said.
“People have come, they paid for the tickets expecting a great match and a big fight, which they didn’t get. From that perspective, I can understand. But I am not sure whether they understand me or if they even want to understand me.
“I know how my body works, what I feel, and I know how much I’ve given to this tournament in the past 20-plus years. I will stop here, so that I don’t continue [speaking] in the wrong direction.”
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
