Australian Open CEO Says Novak Djokovic Played Through Hamstring Tear

The World No. 1 previously shot down any speculation about him “faking” an injury.

Novak Djokovic won his 10th Australian Open title on Sunday, and apparently he achieved the feat while dealing with a hamstring tear.

It wasn’t a secret that the 22-time Grand Slam champion had an injury during the tournament. However, some people thought he was “faking” the injury since he was still dominating on the court, so much so that he won the tournament.

Djokovic disproved those speculations, and now the Australian Open CEO Craig Tiley informed reporters that Djokovic played with a three centimeter hamstring tear throughout the tournament.

“Absolutely (I saw the scans), the doctors are going to tell you the truth,” Tiley said, via SEN Sportsday. “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.”

It’s unknown at this time if Djokovic will miss any time with the hamstring tear. It didn’t seem to stop him at the Australian Open, so it may not keep him off the court for upcoming events either.

Tiley’s comments should squash speculation about Djokovic “faking” his injury.

“Only my injuries are questioned,” the World No. 1 said of those rumors before the end of the tournament, via ESPN. “When some other players are injured, then they are the victims, but when it is me, I am faking it. It is very interesting. I don’t feel that I need to prove anything to anyone.”