Felix Auger-Aliassime, who lost a five-set thriller to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, has labelled the current medical timeout rule a 'disgrace'. The world No. 4 was serving for a place in the last eight when his opponent, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, called for medical attention just after saving two match points at 15-40 in the fourth set. Davidovich Fokina went on to force a decider after taking the tiebreaker, with Auger-Aliassime double-faulting straight after the resumption.
Players Unite Against Medical Timeout Timing
Steve Johnson, speaking on the 'Nothing Major Show', echoed Auger-Aliassime's sentiments. 'Felix has been playing great, and he hadn't been broken in this tournament until that little kerfuffle late in the fourth set,' Johnson said. 'He was serving for the match, trying to close it out, and Fokina hurt his ankle or foot and limped off to get some treatment. He ices Felix pretty good and ultimately gets the break and wins the tiebreaker.'
Johnson added: 'He's always well-spoken and mild-mannered, and not many guys would say a bad word about him. He's usually very measured in the press, but he said it was a disgrace, it's a disgrace of a rule. I disagree with the rule as well. You should never take an injury timeout while your opponent is serving or while they are serving. You should always take it before your own serve.'
Auger-Aliassime's Post-Match Reaction
In his post-match press conference, Auger-Aliassime elaborated: 'I think the rule has to change. I think that obviously, as long as the rule is like that, a player will use it to their advantage. I think that it's very simple: if you're hurt badly, or whatever you're hurt, while the game's going on of your opponent, in the middle of the game, the opponent is serving, the shot clock is on, basically, when you're hurt badly, you're forfeiting every point until you can call the physio.'
'If the physio helps you recover, you play your service game. If you're badly hurt, you retire, obviously. But to stop in the middle of an opponent's service game and to be able to call the physio, I think that's a disgrace of a rule. I don't see any other sport where you can do that. I mark my words. It's a disgrace of a rule.'
Impact on the Match
Davidovich Fokina, who did not break any rules, managed to force a fifth set after the medical timeout. Auger-Aliassime, however, regained his composure and ultimately closed out the match in five sets. Johnson noted: 'He was a little upset about the timeout; he was talking to his box, but he was able to calm down after losing the fourth set. Obviously, he wanted to win it in four, but sometimes that's good for the confidence to close it out in the fifth.'
The incident has reignited debate over the medical timeout rule, with players and commentators calling for reform to prevent such disruptions during an opponent's service game.
