"Never believe everything you read" - Andy Murray's ex-coach makes his feelings clear on Novak Djokovic's rapid injury recovery

Mark Petchey, a former British tennis player, and Andy Muray's ex-coach shared his thoughts on Novak Djokovic's quick recovery from his injury concerns in Australia.

The former World No. 1 defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinal of the 2025 Australian Open in four sets. After the first set, he felt a discomfort in his left thigh but played the entire match with heavy strapping. Djokovic came out as a winner but with a hamstring injury, which even led to him retiring from the semifinal after the first set against Alexander Zverev.

When the Serbian won the quarterfinal despite the injury and then retired after the first set in the semis, many ex-pros and fans mocked him for faking it. Later, Djokovic posted an MRI scan of the muscle tear in his left hamstring on X, which quashed all doubts. After this, many speculated that he would not be in action until the clay season which begins in April and May.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion announced that he will participate in the Qatar Open and is almost 100% fit to compete at the highest level. The tournament begins on February 17.

In the ‘Inside-In Tennis Podcast,’ Mark Petchey commented on Novak Djokovic’s ability to quickly recover from any injury setbacks and cautioned people to not believe everything said on the internet.

“Yeah, it is well ahead of schedule. It’s phenomenal that like he’s looking to potentially get out and play. I mean, obviously a couple of weeks after sort of Australia. There was some rumours like only a week ago that he was only going to come back in Madrid on the clay. So never believe anything you read, especially on the Internet,” he said.

The Serbian legend has a knack for recovering from injuries in no time and has shocked people from time to time, again and again.

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When Novak Djokovic completed his Career Golden Slam after recovering from knee surgery

Novak Djokovic with his Olympic Gold at Paris 2024 - Source: Getty

On June 5, 2024, Novak Djokovic tore his right medial meniscus (cartilage located in the knee joint) during his five-set win over Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round. He was set to play clay court specialist, Casper Ruud, in the quarterfinal but had to withdraw due to the injury.

Soon after he underwent knee surgery for his treatment, Djokovic was back at Wimbledon within 20 days. The tournament kicked off on July 1 and the seven-time Wimbledon champion reached the finals. He failed to get over the line, as Alcaraz completely dominated him and won the championship in straight sets.

Wimbledon ended on July 14 and the Paris Olympics was set to begin on July 27. The Serbian star was up for the challenge, eyeing his maiden Olympic gold medal. Djokovic fulfilled his long-awaited dream by winning the Olympic gold medal after defeating Alcaraz in the finals in straight sets, where both the sets ended in a tiebreaker.

Novak Djokovic's incredible ability to defy the odds and recover from seemingly insurmountable injuries has become a hallmark of his legendary career. Whether it's bouncing back from a hamstring tear to compete within weeks or overcoming knee surgery to claim Olympic gold, the Serbian icon continues to amaze fans and silence critics.