Novak Djokovic 'out for months' as Jannik Sinner announcement saddens tennis fans after Aus Open

The Serbian star is said to be facing a decent stint on the sidelines with his hamstring injury.

Novak Djokovic is reportedly facing up to two months out of tennis due to the hamstring injury he suffered at the Australian Open, and might not play again until the French Open. Djokovic was booed off court after retiring hurt against Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals in Melbourne, which came after he tore his hamstring in the quarters against Carlos Alcaraz.

Chris Fowler of ESPN reported on Wednesday that Djokovic's injury could see him miss a number of months, which would rule him out of ATP 1000 events in Indian wells, Miami and Monte Carlo. It comes after Djokovic posted a screenshot of a scan that showed "a pretty deep tear", according to Fowler.

Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner.
Novak Djokovic (L) is reportedly facing months on the sidelines, while Jannik Sinner (R) won't be defending his title in Rotterdam. Image: Getty

“That’s in the deepest part of the hamstring and the hamstring is a problem because it’s a big muscle," Fowler said. "It’s deep in there, it’s hard to treat it properly. The hamstring doesn’t have great blood flow so it’s harder to treat it than some other muscles. You can’t rush a hamstring, you’ve got to be very sure before going back out there. Typically if you’re looking at injuries like that in sports, you’re looking at a couple months.”

Fowler said it wouldn't surprise if Djokovic doesn't play again until the French Open due to the fact he's scaled back his schedule in recent years. Djokovic flagged after his Australian Open exit that he might play less tournaments in 2025 and priorities the majors.

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Either way, it means he's set for a rankings drop and could find himself out of the top 10 by the time the next grand slam begins. He didn't play Miami last year, but will drop the points he earned at Indian Wells (round of 32) and Monte Carlo (semi-finals).

Meabnwhile, fans are expressing their disappointment - but understanding - after Australian Open champ Jannik Sinner announced he won't be defending his title at the Rotterdam Open next week. Sinner won back-to-back Australian Open crowns and his third career grand slam after thrashing Zverev in Sunday night's final in Melbourne.

Speculation immediately turned to when the Italian might play again, and many thought he'd feature in the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam next week because he's the defending champion after beating Alex de Minaur in last year's final. But the World No.1 announced he's withdrawn from the event and needs to have a rest after his gruelling Australian Open campaign.

Jannik Sinner with the Australian Open title.
Jannik Sinner won his third grand slam and second Australian Open title. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua via Getty Images)

"After consulting with my team we had to take the difficult decision to withdraw from the ABN AMRO Open," Sinner said in a statement on the tournament's website. "My body needs time to rest after the long run in Australia. I have great memories from winning the title in front of amazing crowds at Rotterdam Ahoy last year and hope to be back there soon."

Sinner's withdrawal means he'll drop 500 rankings points, but it won't matter. His Australian Open triumph saw him widen the gap to World No.2 Zverev by a staggering 3700 points, and is now way out in front on 11,830 compared to Zverev's 8135 and Alcaraz on 7010.

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Grigor Dimitrov is also out of Rotterdam after suffering an injury in Australia, while World No.3 Alcaraz is now the top seed. Big guns Daniil Medvedev and de Minaur are set to play, with the Aussie hoping to go one better than his runner-up finish to Sinner in 2024.

While tennis fans have expressed their understanding that Sinner needs a break, there was still some sadness and disappointment when he announced his withdrawal. Fans are unsure what the future holds for Sinner, with the World No.1 having a potential two-year suspension hanging over his head.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed the International Tennis Federation's decision not to ban him after he twice tested positive to banned steroid Clostebol last March. Sinner will face the Court of Arbitration for Sport in April, with WADA pushing for a ban of up to two years despite conceding he didn't intentionally dope.

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WADA believes Sinner was partly negligent for his physio applying the steroid to his own finger before massaging the World No.1 without gloves on. Many believe professional athletes have an obligation to ensure everyone on their team complies with the rules and knows exactly what they can and can't have in their possession.

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The Italian star's decision to withdraw from Rotterdam comes after he suffered a concerning health scare at the Australian Open. Coach Darren Cahill revealed on Tuesday that Sinner was lucky to survive against Holger Rune in the fourth round while visibly affected by illness.

Cahill revealed Sinner was “white as a sheet” and “really crook” before and during the match before recovering in the days after to win the title. Cahill dismissed suggestions Sinner had recently had pneumonia and said a “bug” had swept through their entire team.