Novak Djokovic was beaten by Matteo Berretitni. (Image: Getty)

Novak Djokovic has been accused of being “flat emotionally” after his first-round exit at the Qatar Open. In his first tournament since recovering from the hamstring injury that forced him out of his Australian Open semi-final, the Serbian went down 7-6(4) 6-2 to Matteo Berrettini.

The 37-year-old looked like a shadow of the player who had won through to the final four at Melbourne Park before limping off the court after losing the first set against Alexander Zverez.

It means he is still chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title and his 100th career singles title. He has insisted he has no plans to retire as long as he is competing at the top level.

But now former world No.21 Steve Johnson has questioned the all-time great’s current state of mind. He appeared unusually flat during his clash with Berrettini at the ATP 500 event in Doha, and Johnson questioned how much the tournament actually meant to him.

“It sometimes feels that he is a bit flat emotionally, which has usually never been the case for him,” he said. “So he has earned the right to play whatever schedule he deserves and wants to do.

“It’s a tough draw going against Berrettini who played really well that match, the serve, the forehand. Everything was going well. So it’s interesting to watch Novak in these events because the Doha title will not further his legacy, so I’m not sure about his emotional investment.

Djokovic was forced to retire from his Australian Open semi-final. (Image: Getty)

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“It just feels as if he is not as motivated to win in Dubai or Doha as he is to win a Slam because that’s the only thing which can further his legacy. There are obviously financial obligations and commitments he has made; we don’t know exactly what it takes for him to play these types of events.”

Djokovic also played two matches in the Qatar Open doubles event as he made the quarter-finals with Fernando Verdasco. He entered at the request of the Spaniard, who was playing his last tournament before retirement.

The world No.7 insisted that he had not been hampered by his recent injury in Doha, but was reportedly seen limping at the airport as he returned home. He’s now scheduled to compete at Indian Wells next week before turning his focus to his preparation for the French Open.

Fronting up after his latest defeat, he said: “Yes, I wasn’t at my desired level, and it could be that I’m still not moving the way I want to move, but, I played without pain, so there is no excuse in that.”

Johnson also added he believes Djokovic will continue to try and further enhance his legacy “as the greatest champion of the sport.” He still needs one more Slam to move clear of Margaret Court, who currently shares his record of 24 wins.