Respected sports medical expert Dr Peter Larkins gives his take on Novak Djokovic’s hamstring injury

The matches only get tougher from here for Novak Djokovic and one expert watching his game closely has warned that one bad lunge will end his bid for a 10th title.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic touches the court as he celebrates victory against Australia's Alex de Minaur during their men's singles match on day eight of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 23, 2023. (Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP)

Novak Djokovic and his suspect hamstring are “not out of the risk zone at all” and one ill-fated lunge could cost him a record 10th Australian Open and 22nd grand slam.

Respected sports medical expert Dr Peter Larkins declared Djokovic’s hamstring injury was real – but not a tear – and believed the Serbian star favoured his right leg “quite dramatically” against Australian Alex de Minaur on Monday night.

“If you watch it quite closely he really does a lot of stuff off the right leg and he gets his left leg off the ground quickly,” Larkins told News Corp.

“But the bottom line is it’s not a structural injury. It’s probably some neural or nerve-related pain.

“He was hitting really powerful shots to not allow Alex to run him around too much, which meant he was making sure he stayed mid-court as much as possible.

“It’s not a structural or torn hamstring, but he’s getting hamstring pain. That’s why the anti-inflammatories work, the strapping reminds him to be careful.”

The No. 4 seed is a $1.45 favourite to lift the trophy on Sunday night despite needing to win another nine sets in the next five days.

Novak Djokovic is battling a hamstring injury. Picture: Michael Klein

Djokovic did not book a practice court on Monday and Larkins said as fatigue grows his chance of suffering a tear will increase.

“When you’ve got nerve pain that might be coming from the nerve in the hamstring or dare I say even his back above then … it’s not going to get better as the tournament goes deeper,” Larkins said.

“In fact, the risk gets higher because fatigue comes in and arguably the players he’s playing are going to test him out a bit more.

“It’s different if he had a little strain and a week goes by and it’s gradually healing with physio.

“This is more a pain management issue rather than a healing issue and they’re obviously managing the pain really well, because I think he’s adapted his game.”

Djokovic bristled at suggestions the injury was fake, saying: “When some other players are injured, then they are the victims, but when it is me, I am faking it”.

He is on a 25-match winning streak at Rod Laver Arena and victory against Andrey Rublev in Wednesday’s quarter-final would overtake Andre Agassi’s record from 2000-2004.

While de Minaur was powerless to exploit Djokovic, Larkins said his opponents should still attempt to force him into “awkward stretch positions”.

“He’s not playing with a torn hamstring, he’s playing with a tight or a sore hamstring. If it pings I can’t see him getting through a game,” Larkins said.

Novak Djokovic was in full flight on Monday night. Picture: AFP Images

“The psychological support from his team would be saying, ‘Put it out of your mind’ because it’s really only a bit of inflammation.

“They have a scan that knows it’s not a tear and he doesn’t want to let it play on his mind, he wants to ignore it.

“But having said that if he’s got a tight hamstring and some neural pain it’s only one stretch or one lunge away from becoming a tear if it’s tight.

“He’s not out of the risk zone at all.”

Larkins said the injury would not improve this week because healing occurred when there was muscle damage to repair.

Geelong wingman Max Holmes missed last year’s premiership with a tight hamstring, but Larkins said AFL was a different beast and hamstring often tear when arching the back, chasing a player or kicking – actions not replicated in tennis.

“Holmes probably could’ve played and then a tight hamstring becomes a torn hamstring and you’re a player down,” he said.

“That’s not to belittle the fact that tennis is not mobile, because we’ve seen how flexible Novak is.

“But the reason he was stretching so much in the warm-up I saw is that if it’s tight then he wants to make sure he doesn’t tear it when he gets into an awkward side-shot where he’s got to stretch it a bit.

“One of the things about Novak is he’s done an enormous amount of yoga and stretching and that’s working to his advantage with this injury at the present.”

Novak Djokovic was far too good for Alex de Minaur. Picture: AFP Images

‘ONLY I’M QUESTIONED’: DJOKER SLAMS FAKE INJURY INSULT

Novak Djokovic has given his tender hamstring a tick for round 1, a cross for round 2 and a perfect score for round 4.

The 21-time grand slam champion’s heavily strapped left hamstring has become the most talked about muscle in world sport.

The magic potion that has helped him almost walk into the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park?

Nothing more than simple anti-inflammatory tablets and physio treatment from his medical team.

How is it possible? AFL footballers who suffer a mere strain are sidelined for roughly 21 days.

You only have to rewind to last September to remember Nat Fyfe, Tom Liberatore and Max Holmes missing finals. For Holmes, it was a grand final – and the injury cost him a premiership.

So is Djokovic hamming it up?

Djokovic has battled a hamstring issue for the entire tournament so far. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP) /

“It looks a bit dodgy between points but once he starts running there is absolutely no problem with how he is moving,” Aussie great Todd Woodbridge said.

“I’m not saying it’s gamesmanship – it’s pretty obvious he has a bit of a niggle. But at times it looks like it’s about to snap off, so he’s playing it up nicely here and there, but you know, that’s Novak.”

Former world No. 1 Boris Becker agreed.

“Sometimes you think he’s bluffing or can’t finish the game. It’s a bit of heaven and hell,” Becker said/

“That also makes it difficult for the opponent. But Novak wouldn’t behave like that if he had nothing.”

But Djokovic was ropeable at suggestions he had stretched the truth, rather than his ‘string.

“Only my injuries are questioned,” he bit back.

The Serbian hit back at suggestions he was overstating the extent of his injury. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP)

“When some other players are injured, then they are the victims, but when it is me, I am faking it. It is very interesting … I don’t feel that I need to prove anything to anyone.”

Daniil Medvedev mocked Djokovic and his supposedly dodgy body in Adelaide almost two years after losing to him in the Australian Open final … when Djokovic’s miracle recovery from an abdominal tear.

Whatever the diagnosis, it clearly affected Aussie Alex de Minaur mentally.

“Look, I don’t know. I think everyone’s kind of seeing what’s been happening over the couple weeks,” de Minaur said after he was embarrassed 6-2 6-1 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.

“It’s the only thing everyone’s been talking about. Today I was out there on court against him.

“I’m not a good enough tennis player to expose that, or … it looked good to me.”

In fairness to Djokovic, he agreed. The nine-time AO champion said “I didn’t feel anything today”.

Despite the concerns, Djokovic easily dispatched of Aussie Alex de Minaur. (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)

American Taylor Fritz said it was foolish to think players “faked” injuries – but said there was nothing wrong with stretching the truth.

“Some players are more vocal talking about injuries then others. I don’t think people fake injuries, I do think sometimes players stretch the severity of the injury because it depressurises them and helps them play better (which honestly is fine, do whatever works),” Fritz said.

“I don’t think it’s done in a bad sportsmanship kind of way, and before people get defensive.

“I’m not talking about anyone in particular this is just what I see as a player, sometimes there r (sic) serious injuries, sometimes there (sic) over exaggerated ones from people 1-500.

“I’m not taking shots at any players so please don’t get defensive.”