“Could be on death bed & still cry about Novak Djokovic" - Fans slam Rafael Nadal's uncle doubting 'authenticity' of Serb's Australian Open injury

Tennis fans criticized Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni, for questioning the legitimacy of Novak Djokovic's injury he sustained during the 2025 Australian Open. The Serb was forced to retire from his semifinal clash, thwarting his hopes of claiming his 11th Melbourne Major and 25th Grand Slam title overall

Djokovic triumphed over Nishesh Basavareddy, Jaime Faria, Tomas Machac, Jiri Lehecka, and Carlos Alcaraz to secure a spot in the semifinals. He faced Alexander Zverev in the final four but withdrew after losing the first set 7-6(5) due to a muscle tear in his upper left leg.

Following his retirement from the semifinal match, many questioned the validity of the former Word No. 1's injury. Among the skeptics was Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni, who pointed out that Djokovic's demeanor and performance during the match contradicted his injury.

"On more than one occasion we have seen Novak with similar performances, with facial gestures and body language that contradict what we are seeing on the court and that sow certain doubts about the authenticity of his problems," Toni Nadal said (via El Pais, translated from Spanish).

Toni's comments did not sit well with the tennis fans, who took to social media to criticize the Spaniard.

One fan said Toni was always so critical of Novak Djokovic that even if the 63-year-old were on his deathbed, he would target the Serb.

“Toni could be on his death bed and he’d still call a journalist so he could cry about Djokovic for one last time," a fan posted.

Comment byu/The_Big_Untalented from discussion intennis

A few fans opined that Toni was "salty" about the 24-time Grand Slam champion because he was better than Rafael Nadal.

“Toni still salty AF," a fan wrote.

“Toni Nadal may be the saltiest person on the entire planet. Does he not remember the same skepticism that was given towards his nephew Also, this booing had nothing to do with Djokovic “faking” injuries. It was for him retiring in the semi. Unless Toni really thinks Djokovic would fake an injury to retire. Knowing Toni, wouldn't put it past him to be that stupid," a fan posted.

“We all know the real reason Toni is upset. Novak is the greatest player of all time and is more accomplished than his nephew," a fan wrote.

Comment byu/The_Big_Untalented from discussion intennis

Here are some other fan reactions:

“Toni Nadal crying in interviews is my favorite type of news on this sub lol," a fan posted.

“Wonder where Toni thinks Djokovic got that picture of a scan of his thigh showing a hamstring tear from," a fan wrote.

“Smh gotta go reset my “Days Since Uncle Toni Said Something Bitchy About Djokovc” calendar," a fan posted.

Comment byu/The_Big_Untalented from discussion intennis

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Novak Djokovic on his Australian Open 2025 SF retirement because of injury: “Unfortunate ending but I tried”

The Serb at the 2025 Australian Open [Image Source: Getty Images]

During the press conference following his retirement from the 2025 Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic disclosed that he attempted to manage the muscle tear with medications, medical straps, and physiotherapy, though nothing proved effective.

The Serb further revealed that the pain was unbearable during the match, forcing him to make the decision to retire.

“I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had. Medications and, I guess, the strap, and the physio work helped to some extent. But yeah, towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain. It was too much, I guess, to handle for me at the moment . Unfortunate ending, but I tried,” he said (via ATP Tour).

The 37-year-old last won the Australian Open in 2023 when he triumphed over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.