Novak Djokovic has lifted the lid on his worrying scare after requesting a medical timeout during his first-round Wimbledon win.
The seven-time champion looked set to breeze into the second round after winning the first set of his tournament 6-1 against an overawed Alexandre Muller.
Djokovic was also in control for large parts of the second set but Muller forced a tie-break and then stunned the tennis icon to draw level.
In worrying scenes for those hoping to see Djokovic win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, the physio and doctor were called by the Serbian midway through the third set.
Djokovic appeared to be given pain relief and was stretching out while breathing deeply as France’s Muller also asked for a medical timeout.
It was the 38-year-old who emerged stronger from the pause in play, winning the next two sets 6-2 to book his place in the second round, where he will meet Great Britain’s Dan Evans.
‘To be quite frank I went from feeling my absolute best to my absolute worst for 45 minutes,’ Djokovic said in his on-court interview.
‘Whether it was a stomach bug or something else, I don’t know. I struggled with that but the energy kicked back after some miracle pills from the doctors.’
Asked whether he ever feared he would be forced to retire, Djokovic added: ‘No, no. I honestly wasn’t thinking about that as an option.
‘I knew something was off with the stomach so I just waited for it to calm down and that’s what happened.’
Djokovic thanked those spectators who stayed until the bitter end to watch him advance through to the next round.
‘It’s great to finish tonight especially before the curfew, I want to thank everyone for staying this late, thank you for the support – it was an amazing atmosphere especially after the roof was closed, it was very loud, hopefully you enjoyed it,’ he added.
‘It’s great to be back in Wimbledon and obviously I have to say that first and acknowledge the sacredness of this court and the tournament has always meant a lot to me and to many other players, it’s a childhood dream so I never take stepping out on this court for granted.’
Djokovic is relieved he managed to regroup and finish on a ‘good note’ after a hot and gruelling night at SW19.
‘I enjoyed myself, obviously a bit less in the second set,’ he continued.
‘I struggled with that but the energy came back and I managed to finish the match on a good note.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.