Australian Open boss Craig Tiley has confirmed details surrounding Novak Djokovic’s hamstring injury.
Djokovic was bothered by a hamstring complaint throughout the tournament and failed to train during his off days because of it.
Despite the hindrance, many felt the Serbian wasn’t truly hurt as he breezed his way to a remarkable 10th Australian Open title - only losing one set on the way to Enzo Couacaud in the second round.
While Djokovic was clearly a level above the competition, Tiley confirmed he did so with a three-centimetre tear in his hamstring, adding that it’s “hard to believe” the 35-year-old competed at such a high level with a considerable injury.
“A lot of the challenges around Novak is that he gets a bad rap,” Tiley told SEN Sportsday.
“But at the end of the day, I don’t think anyone can question his athleticism.
“This guy I did see, he had a three-centimetre tear in his hammy.
“Absolutely (I saw the scans), the doctors are going to tell you the truth.
“There was a lot of speculation about whether it was true or not, it’s hard to believe that they can do what they do with those kinds of injuries.
“He’s remarkable, to deal with it extremely professionally.”
Tiley believes Djokovic was able to compete so well despite the injury due to his focus and preparation which is renowned for being first-class.
Having dominated the year’s first Grand Slam for more than a decade now, Tiley can’t see the Serbian’s legacy at Melbourne Park being overtaken by anyone in the future.
“He’s so focused on everything he does, with every single minute of the day,” Tiley explained.
“That’s what he eats, what he drinks, when he does it, how he does it.
“There’s no breakdown or mental breakdown in anything that he does.
“He’s been through a lot and to win 10 Australian Opens, I don’t think that’s ever going to be repeated.
“Over the last 15 years, he tells me it’s 14 years because he missed last year, it’s such a remarkable achievement.
“He’ll hold a significant place in the history of the Australian Open.”
Djokovic has previously stated that he’d reveal more information and publish photos on social media proving the severity of his injury, but at this stage, he’s yet to do so.