"Physio didn't want to give me one": Medical timeout denied according to Novak Djokovic during United Cup loss
ATP
Novak Djokovic claimed that during his pivotal loss to Alex de Minaur at the 2024 United Cup that he was denied a medical time out by the physio after his wrist issues continued.
Djokovic lost out 6-4, 6-4 to De Minaur with the 24-time Grand Slam champion not able to trouble the Aussie's serve throughout and his serve was heavily targeted as the latter hit five aces and won 33 points during the second set to secure the tie.
Djokovic received treatment from the physio during the match, but was denied a further medical time out and that it was the physio that made a decision not to let him citing that he said it was improving before the match but that as the wear and tear from De Minaur went on, it was getting worse.
Natalija Stevanovic lost to Ajla Tomljanovic in the women's singles tie meaning that Serbia lost the clash and went out of the tournament and now doubts will swell in the coming weeks about Djokovic's wrist and whether he will be ready for Melbourne.
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"Well, I mean, I asked for the medical timeout but he said that you can't get medical timeout. You can only get a changeover if the injury is already existing, he explained. So I didn't understand really what that means," the Serb said.
"But he [physio] said that I told him that it was improving, so that's why he didn't think that I should get a medical timeout. I said it was improving before the match, but then as the match progressed yesterday, and also today particularly, was getting worse, so I needed treatment. He didn't want to give me one. So that's all. There's not much more I can say," Djokovic continued.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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