Novak Djokovic has said that a doctor’s “miracle pills” helped him get through his first-round match at Wimbledon on Tuesday night.
The Serbian tennis star looked unwell and asked for a doctor after he lost the second set to France’s Alexandre Muller.
During a medical timeout, Djokovic spoke with the doctor and was given a tablet to help him feel better.
After taking the tablet, Djokovic improved quickly and took control of the match. He won 10 of the last 12 games and finished with a 6-1, 6-7 (7-9), 6-2, 6-2 win.
In his on-court interview after the match, Djokovic said he might have had a stomach bug.
“I went from feeling my best for a set and a half to feeling my worst for about 45 minutes,” he said.
“I don’t know exactly what it was, but I struggled. Then the doctor gave me some miracle pills and I managed to finish the match well.”
Some fans online questioned if Djokovic was really that ill. The medical timeout came just after he lost the second set, which led some to think it was a way to stop Muller’s momentum.
One fan wrote:
“Classic Djokovic move—calls a medical timeout after losing a set to get the crowd back on his side.”
Another said:
“Every time a Djokovic match gets close, he calls the doctor. I’ve seen it many times.”
A third added:
“He loses a set, takes a medical timeout, and then breaks serve twice. He does it often.”
There was also talk online about Djokovic’s use of the phrase “miracle pills.”
One fan joked:
“I think many people would love to know what these miracle pills really are!”
Another wrote:
“He always talks about miracle pills when things aren’t going his way. The crowd laughs, the interviewer laughs—but no one really questions it.”
This isn’t the first time Djokovic has said something similar. In 2022, he told reporters he was drinking a “magical potion” during a match, which also raised questions.
Still, some fans defended him, saying he was clearly unwell and the pills simply helped him feel better quickly.
“He always calls them miracle pills. This time, they helped calm his stomach, so he said it again,” one supporter said.
Djokovic was seen talking with the doctor again during the third set, while Muller also took a medical timeout for what seemed to be a calf injury.
