Novak Djokovic fears raised as Serbian media spot worrying sign at Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic has not encountered too much trouble en route to the Wimbledon third round, but in his homeland there are fears that the Serb is not at his physical peak. Djokovic required a medical time-out during his first-round win over Alexandre Muller on Tuesday, and there were one or two questionable signs during his dominant victory over Dan Evans on Thursday.

The 25-time Grand Slam winner is known for being one of the most health-conscious players on tour. He eats a predominantly plant-based, gluten-free diet, meditates and incorporates yoga into his fitness regime. But at 38 years old, Djokovic no longer benefits from having the body of a professional athlete in their prime.

He has been forced to dramatically cut down his tournament schedule as a result, focusing primarily on Grand Slams, representing Serbia and playing a select few events. Djokovic's lower level of activity means that even closer attention is paid when he does take to the court.

Serbian media outlet Blic even assessed his activity during changeovers at this year's Championships. They point out that he has used full-body stretching positions in the break multiple times, and believe that he is 'suffering from breathing problems'.

Djokovic has been seen putting his hands behind his head in a deep squat position as part of his breathing routine, which has been interpreted as him struggling to breathe as freely as he would like.

The report also notes that Djokovic had 'big problems' at the start of the third set against Muller, when he called the medical time-out. If the sixth seed is encountering muscle and breathing problems as suggested, he certainly isn't showing it in his performances.

There was a minor blip against Muller, when he dropped the second set via a tense tiebreak. But he won the proceeding two sets by a wide margin before dominating Evans 6-3 6-2 6-0 on Centre Court.

Afterwards, he allayed fears about his physical condition by saying: "Last year, particularly in the early rounds, I was still doubting whether my knee will hold up or whether I was able to slide or do my movement as freely as I want.

"There is difference in that. This year I'm not, obviously, thinking about the knee, nor do I have any other major physical issue to think about in that sense. Of course, there's always something every day that you address minorly. But overall body's in very good shape."