Simona Halep's former coach Darren Cahill backs Novak Djokovic in secret drink scandal
Simona Halep's former coach Darren Cahill has thrown his support behind Novak Djokovic amidst the Serb's 'secret drink scandal'.
Djokovic lost the Paris Masters title to a resilient Holger Rune after going down to the teenager in a three-setter thriller in the summit clash. However, it was not his runner-up finish that made headlines. Instead, a video of his coaching team's secretive behavior while making a drink for him became the talk of the tennis world.
During the former World No. 1's semifinal match against Stefanos Tsitsipas, his team members were spotted preparing a drink for him while others blocked the public's line of sight to what was being mixed. The video has already garnered millions of views and has prompted a lot of debate online.
Retired Australian tennis professional Cahill, who has coached the likes of Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Murray and Simona Halep and is currently coaching Jannik Sinner, has thrown his support behind the World No. 7. He pointed to a social media discussion that pointed towards the 35-year-old's innocence, saying:
"good thread."
"Golly, the body language in this video is bizarre" - Leading tennis journalist on video of Novak Djokovic's coaching staff making a drink at Paris Masters
Leading tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg earlier questioned the dodgy behavior of Novak Djokovic's team regarding the preparation of the Serb's drink during the Paris Masters. He said that although cases like these rarely go unnoticed, "there should be more transparency" regarding all kinds of substances players take. He also expressed his confusion at seeing the 'bizarre' body language of the Serbian's team.
"I've always thought there should be more transparency about the substances players take, particularly during matches, but I've also rarely thought anything was likely amiss. But golly, the body language in this video is bizarre. What does the Djokovic team think needs hiding?" Rothenberg tweeted.
Rothenberg, however, clarified that he was not accusing anyone of anything, but rather questioning the need for such behavior if nothing was wrong.
"I'm accusing no one of anything here, but what an incredibly suspicious way to start acting when you suddenly notice that you're being filmed. Hope Djokovic and/or his team get asked about this today in Paris, and that they don't just accept his previous "magic potions" answer," he clarified.