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.
“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.”
Thought I’d leave this here for all the sports injury “experts” out there. pic.twitter.com/ZO5mBtw9zB
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 25, 2025
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.
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).
So sad!!!
— João Lucas (@douradodoval) January 28, 2025
Jannik Sinner withdraws from Rotterdam Open title defence
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.
"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.
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.
Lots of changes in Rotterdam's list next week.
OUT: Sinner, Dimitrov, Draper, Thompson
IN: Tsitsipas (top 20 wild card), Sonego, Mensik, Bautista, Goffin
Next in: Marozsan, Bergs
Seeds still looking incredible atm, lead by Alcaraz: pic.twitter.com/vUuHmSekMI— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 28, 2025
Tennis fans react to Jannik Sinner announcement
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.
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.
Sad but glad to hear @mensik_jakub_ will be there!@abnamroopen IS ONE OF THE BEST TOURNAMENTS OF THE YEAR EVERY YEAR 🔥🔥🔥🔥
— Tennis + UFC (@TennisAndUFC) January 27, 2025
it's always a shame not to see him on the pitch, those who will be happy are his opponents who won't have to play against him! See you soon @janniksin !
— TommyCasti⭐️⭐️ (@IlCasti80) January 27, 2025
I love e him and I bought the tickets to see Sinner who is gonna give me the money back! And the Australians were complaining about Djokovic!
— Anna Castillo (@annacanyon66) January 27, 2025
I love this tournament and the Dutch fan is so good,, Jannik loves this tournament too .
Sad that he couldn’t play ,, Next year 🤞— ~EM (@Moori353) January 27, 2025
It’s a shame Sinner had to withdraw, especially since he’s defending champion in Rotterdam, but it’s good to hear he's off to Dubai for the next challenge. Traveling with Zverev must make for an interesting dynamic between two top players. Hopefully, they’ll both be fresh and…
— 🅄🄼🄰🄸🅁💫 (@KhaanWrites) January 28, 2025
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Darren Cahill lifts the lid on Jannik Sinner illness in Australia
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.