Serbian tennis champion Novak Djokovic’s brave operate to the Australian Open up finals with an wounded leg has been tempered by fresh accusations he could have broken match principles.
Footage has emerged of the Serb star receiving the mystery consume through his come-from-at the rear of victory in excess of French player Enzo Couacaud in spherical two of the Aussie Open.
It came in the course of a match where by he surrendered the 2nd set and desired a health-related timeout for his troublesome hamstring in advance of going on to victory.
His crew are found placing a label on the water bottle before providing it to a match formal to hand to Djokovic on court docket.
The previous entire world No.1 diligently read through what was penned on the label when he acquired the bottle.
The footage has raised considerations that Djokovic and his staff could have broken procedures governing when and wherever gamers can be coached for the duration of the Open up.
Stars are authorized to communicate verbally with their group only when they’re on the similar aspect of the court docket. If they are on opposite sides, alerts need to be employed – which was the circumstance when the footage of Djokovic was taken.
It is the third time in six months that the 21-time grand slam winner has courted controversy with his option of consume at a tennis event.
The incident will come just after Djokovic suffered a shock defeat to Danish teenager Holger Rune in the Paris Masters in November, right after which a video of his physiotherapist mixing him a consume dominated headlines.
The physio was caught on digital camera mixing a secret consume in the stands in advance of handing it to a ball woman to pass along to the Serbian winner. An additional member of Djokovic’s team applied his back again to try out and obscure eyesight of what was heading on.
A member of Djokovic’s staff provides the bottle with the freshly attached label to a event formal to hand to him in the course of participate in in spherical two of the Australian Open up
Djokovic took the time to thoroughly read the label that was on the bottle, with some suggesting it contained coaching notes from his team
Prior to that, the 21-time grand slam champion attracted attention for appearing to inhale a material from a water bottle at the Wimbledon Championships.
When requested what was in the consume bottles, Djokovic would only reply: ‘magic potion’.
A lot of supporters had been speedy to attack the star player for his recurring use of secret beverages.
‘There is normally some conspiracy when it is really about Djokovic,’ a single replied to the video.
‘He does this all the time and appears to be to operate like the highway runner cartoon later on,’ extra an additional.
Other tennis enthusiasts thought the liquid itself wasn’t a problem, but the take note that was connected to the bottle could be.
‘Coaching notes most likely?’ 1 lover proposed.
Other people said it could be a sponsorship-relevant challenge.
‘A product built by a organization that won’t sponsor him so they’re masking up the label,’ one particular admirer explained.
Other people have been brief to defend Djokovic of everything untoward, stating no one would be brazen more than enough to consume a banned compound in basic sight.
‘Too a lot attention on a workforce member mixing athletics beverages,’ one admirer wrote.
‘A suitable preposterous notion that anything is up, stadium total, cameras everywhere you go, drinks blended in players box … I imply use a tiny logic right here, probably just it’s possible they you should not want to give the edge to any one.
Lover holds up a banner in support of Serbia’s Novak Djokovic during his 3rd spherical match in opposition to Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov
Djokovic has been secretive about his bottles of ‘magic potion’ in the past and has been questioned about the use of mystery liquids 3 situations in six months
‘To increase to that, inside of a locker space you see a players crew generally earning beverages, in unmarked bottles and place in the fridge. Coaching systems, dietary supplement intake and so on is trade secret.’
Another tennis supporter pointed out that Djokovic had previously been cleared at Wimbledon for consuming a ‘mysterious’ beverage that turned out to be isotonic.
‘I hope you all experienced Wimbledon’s statement beneath eyes so you can unwind. It truly is isotonic, extremely well known amongst athletes,’ they posted.
‘It’s in powder sort and can be combined with h2o or taken dry and h2o afterwards.
Australian Alex de Minaur is the last community still left in the singles and has a major assignment in advance of him in Djokovic
‘Hard to believe men and women are that silly to assume any athlete would acquire a banned substance where by countless numbers of spectators and cameras can see you. They are tested consistently right before and just after matches and even when not participating in.’
A further lover posted: ‘Every athlete has sporting activities, vitamin enriched and electrolyte drinks with the intent for athletes to replenish glucose, fluids and electrolytes that are missing through intense action.’
