Concerns about Novak Djokovic are rising once again. Despite being 38 years old, the Serbian tennis star is still pretty active and has kept his crosshairs on the US Open championship trophy. But all this energy comes at a price. In the first round of the 2025 US Open, Djokovic took on 19-year-old Learner Tien. And he ensured that he put enough pressure on the American prospect. But all that made him take a medical timeout, sending his fanbase into a frenzy.

The famed journalist and tennis commentator, Jose Morgado, took to X and shared a picture of Djokovic on the bench, grimacing in pain. The caption of the post read, “Physio on court for Djokovic.” Well, after winning the first set with the scoreboard reading 6-1, the Serbian star had to go through a tie-break to win the second set with 7-6 (7) on the board. And that’s when he took the medical timeout. Needless to say, all that moving around, exchanging blows with racquets, seemed to have caught up with his health. 

During the timeout, Djokovic’s trainer seemed to be addressing something with the #7 seed’s big toe. But then again, Djokovic was seen stretching and bending many times during the game. He could barely mask the exhaustion and discomfort on his face. Adding more to the woes, this is just the first round of the US Open. 

But then, we are talking about Novak Djokovic. He knows that his age is against him, and yet he is out to defy all odds with his sights set on a 25th major title. A similar incident occurred during the French Open as well. During his second-round match-up against France’s Corentin Moutet, Djokovic took a medical time-out to deal with a very bothering blister on his left big toe. After dismissing Moutet with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (1), Djokovic said it took him close to an hour of treatment post-match to drain the blood from the blister, which wasn’t exactly a ‘pleasant process’.

But this time, it was a blister on his right foot that did the deed, calling for a consolidated early break after a time violation and a heated argument with the chair umpire. Let us remind you, Novak Djokovic hasn’t lost a first-round match since the 2006 AO. Soon after Morgado shared the picture on X, fans wasted no time in swooping down to the comments section. And it was all filled with worries for Novak Djokovic. Let’s see what the fans had to say, shall we?

Fans worry about Novak Djokovic after his medical timeout at the US Open

One fan took note of the grimacing look on Djokovic’s face and made a wild guess. The comment read, “He seemed to be cramping. Could be that or the fall when he hit his knee.” Meanwhile, another fan noticed the exhaustion on his face. He wrote, “He looks absolutely exhausted! Could it be the dark kit making him overheat … on top of everything else?” To be honest, the weather in New York was a bit windy. But all that action on the court could have certainly increased Djokovic’s body heat, and his apparel must have acted like a catalyst. 

But there were some fans who commented about Novak Djokovic’s age. One fan commented, “If he can’t get through a match without a mto then why the hell doesn’t he just quit?” Another fan added, “Well seems like his age is starting to catch up to him unless he’s actually sick or injured 😂😅.” Being 38 years old definitely comes with its own set of problems. That includes slower recovery time, slower reaction time, lower flexibility and agility, along with a heightened sense of exhaustion. 

In the end, one fan expressed their worries and wrote, “Hope his ok 🤨🤨🤨.” And another fan thought of it all as a mind game. The comment read, “This is nothing, it’s just Novak playing mental games on his opponent he also gets the physio.” But what do you think of Novak Djokovic’s medical timeout?