"You can't rush a hamstring" – Novak Djokovic faces uncertain recovery, John McEnroe states French Open likely

Novak Djokovic went to Melbourne on the hunt for Australian Open title number 11. The Serbian looked fine as he mustered up some big wins throughout his campaign Down Under. Unfortunately, his semi-final against Alexander Zverev was cut short due to injury.

It was later revealed that Djokovic had a muscle tear. Many people were disappointed by the former world number one's withdrawal, which has led to significant discussions about his current condition and future in tennis.

Djokovic's journey to Australia was fueled by the desire to clinch his first Grand Slam title since 2023. The 37-year-old, seemingly at the peak of his career, showcased his prowess with significant victories, including a remarkable win over Carlos Alcaraz.

However, his triumph over the young Spaniard was marred by an injury. Despite the pain, Djokovic's determination and resilience shone through as he fought to secure victory. Yet, the injury worsened, and after the first set in the semi-final against Zverev, the Serbian player was forced to concede.

The legend was met with disappointment and understanding from the crowd. He later clarified his situation in a post-match press conference, expressing his disappointment at being unable to continue.

"I did everything I possibly could to manage my muscle tear," Djokovic said after the match. "Yeah, medications, the strap, and the physio work helped to some extent today."But yeah, I just started feeling more pain towards the end of that first set. It was too much for me to handle at the moment."

ESPN's Chris Fowler said we may not see Djokovic play competitive tennis for a few months.

"That's no joke; that's a pretty deep tear. 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 appropriately. The hamstring doesn't have excellent blood flow, so treating it is harder than with other muscles.

"You can't rush a hamstring, and 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 of months."

On ESPN, John McEnroe said he could be ready for the French Open.

"So he'll be ready for the French. He said he only cares about majors. Who can blame him at this point?"

It'll be interesting to see how long Djokovic is out and what he will look like when he returns.