Rafael Nadal's uncle weighs in on controversial Novak Djokovic 'injury' conspiracies

Toni Nadal has offered his take on Novak Djokovic's injury at the Australian Open

Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni has weighed in on the conspiracy theories surrounding Novak Djokovic's injury problems at the Australian Open. The veteran Serb withdrew from his semi-final against Alexander Zverev after losing the first set, later explaining that he had torn a muscle in his leg. Djokovic initially sparked fears over an injury when he took a medical timeout during his quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz. He kept playing and went on to claim an impressive victory, showing minimal signs of discomfort for the rest of the match. It prompted some observers to raise doubts over whether his injury was genuine, with John McEnroe urging Alcaraz not to be 'fooled' by his opponent.

Some observers have raised doubts over whether Djokovic's injury was genuine

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Toni Nadal has since relayed his own thoughts, telling El Pais that he thought Djokovic's injury was suspicious given his resurgence against Alcaraz. "After losing the first set and with obvious signs of pain, the Serbian made it clear to his opponent and the public in general that he would hardly be able to continue his match," wrote Nadal. "But the reality was that, not only did he face the rest of the match with total normality, he even ended up winning it." The experienced coach was also left perplexed by Djokovic's early retirement against Zverev. He suggested that most players would only consider withdrawing as a last resort, rather than giving up the match after just one set. "He played the entire first set with apparent normality and without visible signs of pain until he decided to abandon it just after the German scored," added Nadal.

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