John McEnroe has criticized the French Open organizers for what he perceives as unfair treatment towards Novak Djokovic, citing scheduling issues that may have contributed to Djokovic’s recent struggles. The world No. 1 faced a tough battle in the fourth round, narrowly avoiding an upset by coming back from a two sets to one deficit to defeat the 23rd seed.

Djokovic’s challenges began with a knee injury early in the second set, prompting him to call for the physiotherapist. McEnroe suggested that this injury might have been exacerbated by Djokovic’s late finish in the previous round, which concluded at a grueling 3:06 am. This late finish was a result of a delayed start caused by an additional match added to Djokovic’s schedule before his third-round match with Lorenzo Musetti.

In that third-round match, Djokovic displayed his characteristic resilience, staging an epic comeback after trailing by two sets to one. The match concluded in the early hours of the morning, leaving Djokovic with significantly less time to recuperate before facing Cerundolo in the next round. Despite initially racing to a 6-1 lead in the match against Cerundolo, Djokovic’s knee issue arose in the second set, raising concerns about his physical condition.

McEnroe’s criticism underscores a debate about player welfare and fairness in tournament scheduling, particularly in major events like the French Open. Djokovic’s ability to overcome such challenges speaks to his mental toughness and determination, yet questions remain about the toll of demanding schedules on player health and performance.

As Djokovic navigates through these challenges, the tennis world watches closely, curious about how these external factors will impact his quest for victory in the tournament. The narrative surrounding Djokovic’s journey at the French Open continues to unfold, highlighting not only his skill on the court but also the complexities and controversies inherent in professional tennis.

He had an intense medical time out, starting on his bench before moving to the floor for treatment. And McEnroe claimed that the organisers’ scheduling decisions were to blame. You’ve got to know that had something to do with it,” the American said on Eurosport commentary. “If you’re stiff in certain body parts, which I’m sure he was, you start to compensate and that’s when you can get in trouble.

Addressing Djokovic’s sudden injury scare, he added: “[It looks like] some kind of hyperextension of the knee. I presume he’s willing to take the strongest legal pain medication he can take.”

And McEnroe slammed tournament bosses for sticking Grigor Dimitrov’s match against Zizou Bergs on Court Philippe-Chatrier before Djokovic’s night session on Saturday, as they had been rained off the previous day.

The decision was made before the previous match, Alexander Zverev vs Tallon Griekspoor, went to a final set tiebreak. But by then it was too late. Dimitrov and Bergs resumed their match when Djokovic was originally meant to start.

McEnroe continued: “Maybe they will think twice about putting Zizou Bergs on with Grigor Dimitrov for a couple of hours which threw off the schedule completely the other night when Djokovic went on at 10.30pm instead of 8.15pm, and you’re like, ‘What?’ I get that they want to catch up, that makes total sense, but come on, it was absurd.