WATCH: Was Carlos Alcaraz Mocking Novak Djokovic's Injury In Australian Open Match?
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Carlos Alcaraz suddenly started limping at one point during his Australian Open quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic, and some have wondered whether he was mocking the Serbian.
Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in four sets after a dramatic battle that the Serbian called one of his best matches in Melbourne. The 37-year-old achieved that despite struggling physically in the early stages.
In the second half of the opening set, Djokovic was in visible pain and took a medical timeout at 5-4. Alcaraz held to take the set, and his illustrious opponent's movement was still hampered in the second set.
However, after Djokovic won the second set by shortening the points and playing more aggressively, the ten-time Australian Open's movement was suddenly perfect again in the third and fourth sets of his victory over the Spaniard.
After the match, Djokovic revealed that he considered retiring because of the pain he was in, but he decided to soldier on and hoped to recover properly for his semifinal against Alexander Zverev.
What Alcaraz did after the third set generated attention. After Djokovic sealed a two-set to-one lead, the 21-year-old suddenly began limping as he went to his chair. The video below shows that moment.
The four-time Grand Slam champion did not just do it once. He continued limping as he went to his bag before limping back over to sit down once again in a way that seemed to be deliberately dramatic.
Alcaraz was still doing it as he walked back out for the fourth set, although it was less dramatic than before. That immediately stopped when the set began, and he competed and moved as usual throughout it.
No one can know for sure whether Alcaraz was mocking Djokovic unless the Spaniard confirms it, which seems unlikely ever to happen. Fans will have to interpret for themselves what happened in that moment.
However, Alcaraz briefly imitating Djokovic is undoubtedly a plausible explanation. The young ATP star did look shocked and confused by Djokovic's physical issues and how swiftly they went away in the third set.
James Blake and John McEnroe discussed the issue in the commentary box. Blake commented that Alcaraz was clearly fine while limping and doing it out of frustration after falling behind in the match to someone who seemed injured.
"He’s kind of limping around. Then he gets up and does it again, looking at his box and limping around and sitting down. He’s obviously fine. Just acting like he’s got an injury."
McEnroe agreed with Blake that his gesture was aimed at Djokovic, saying: "He’s being Novak." The seven-time Grand Slam champion said he did not blame Alcaraz for being annoyed about his opponent's sudden transformation.
Despite that possibility, there was no bad blood between Djokovic and Alcaraz after the match. The two-time defending Wimbledon champion congratulated him in his press conference and on social media.
Rather than focusing on whether Djokovic was really injured or not, Alcaraz lamented not putting more pressure on him when he was limping since winning the second set might have left the Serbian with too much of a mountain to climb.
Djokovic will hope to be fully fit for the semifinal against Zverev, which promises to be a lengthy battle against one of the most in-form players in the world.
