"Here come the excuses, every single time" - Fans call out Novak Djokovic for medical time-out while trailing vs Jannik Sinner in Wimbledon SF

Novak Djokovic faced Jannik Sinner in the second men’s singles semifinal at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships but struggled to bring out his best tennis. He also took a medical timeout during the match, which drew frustration from fans.

Djokovic had looked in great form throughout Wimbledon this year, easing past the likes of Alex de Minaur and Flavio Cobolli to reach the semifinals. However, concerns began to surface during his quarterfinal clash against Cobolli, when he slipped on the grass and appeared to injure his leg as it bent awkwardly during the fall.

The Serb lost to Sinner on Friday, July 11, with the score being 3-6, 3-6, 4-6. He took a medical timeout after dropping the second set, calling the physios and pointing to discomfort in his left thigh. Despite the issue, he continued playing and even fought back to go 3-0 up in the third set.

Novak Djokovic’s medical timeout didn’t sit well with many tennis fans, who quickly took to X to voice their frustration. One user wrote:

"Here comes the excuses. Every single time." "Is there a statistic about how many semifinals and finals Djokovic lost and called a physio? Seems like almost everytime he‘s losing an important match there must be an injury," another wrote.

One account posted:

"'Hopefully he can continue.' That fraud was completely fine an hour ago… loses two sets in a row and suddenly he’s hurt. How weird!!!" "Lmfaoooo embarassing you fall for it still….physio visit right on cue for his entire career. Bs move," one user wrote. "Life, death, taxes and Novak Djokovic getting a medical timeout when he’s losing a match," another added.

One account tweeted:

"Even Rafa, in his injury-ridden career, never took so many MTOs."

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Novak Djokovic plans to play Wimbledon at least 1 more time

Novak Djokovic pictured at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships | Image Source: Getty

Novak Djokovic addressed the media after his tough semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. He made it clear he’s not retiring anytime soon and intends to return to SW19 at least one more time.

Djokovic said:

"I would be sad, but hopefully it's not my last match on Centre Court. I'm not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. I'm planning to come back definitely at least one more time."

The Serb also talked about the injury that prompted a medical timeout during the match. He said he didn’t want to “whine” about it, as doing so might take the spotlight away from Sinner and his well-deserved win.

For now, Djokovic’s best shot at claiming a record 25th Grand Slam title lies at the US Open in August. He’ll likely use the North American hardcourt swing to sharpen his game ahead of the final Major of the year.

Edited by Pritha Ghosh