India, Jan. 26 -- Ahead of hitting back at critics with a social media post of his medical report, Novak Djokovic revealed in the press conference in Melbourne that he suffered a muscle tear after he retired from the semifinal match against Alexander Zverev. However, the explanation did not sit well with two former Italian tennis stars, Paolo Bertolucci and Adriano Panatta, who savaged the Serb.

Djokovic picked up the injury during the opening set of his quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday. After seeking a medical timeout and taking painkillers, he bounced back into the match, beating the Spaniard in four sets.

The come-from-behind win and the ease with which he outsmarted Alcaraz sparked a major controversy with many e...