Djokovic raised concerns when he left the court to receive treatment during the first set of his match against Alcaraz. He returned with heavy strapping on his thigh and quickly lost the opening set.

The 37-year-old continued to wince and grimace during set two, but John McEnroe was among those who weren’t convinced, raising a conspiracy that Djokovic faked or exaggerated his injuries.

“This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this routine. Don’t be fooled,” the American said. Djokovic won the match in four sets but suggested he would’ve retired if he went two sets down and admitted he was “concerned” ahead of his next match.

Even Alcaraz questioned his claims. “A tennis player who thinks about retiring doesn’t play the third and fourth sets the way he did,” he later said.

Djokovic took to the court for his semi-final contest with Alexander Zverev three days later but retired after losing the 81-minute first set. Some fans booed him off the court, but he later hit back at suggestions that he was faking his injury.

The world No. 6 shared a video of his MRI scan, showing he’d torn a muscle in his thigh. “Thought I’d leave this here for all the sports injury “experts” out there,” he tweeted.

However, not every tennis fan is convinced. Express Sport readers have been divided, with 49 per cent claiming that Djokovic faked his injuries, while 51 per cent believed him.

There’s been plenty of debate around the Serb’s injury. Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick also suggested Djokovic was playing up against Alcaraz.

Speaking on his podcast, Served, the retired star said: “He was moving as well as I’ve seen Novak move in 18 months, maybe two years.

“It didn’t work that way in my career. If I pulled a groin, it kinda tended to stay pulled and maybe get worse.”

Djokovic was forced to withdraw from Serbia’s recent Davis Cup tie against Denmark due to injury. He’s signed up for the Qatar Open in Doha, which begins on February 17, but it remains to be seen whether he competes.