Novak Djokovic Retires from Australian Open Semifinal Due to Injury
Novak Djokovic retired from his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev due to a muscle tear in his left leg, ending his bid for a record-extending 11th title at Melbourne Park. The 37-year-old Serb, who was seeking his 25th Grand Slam title, conceded the match after losing the first set 7-6 (7-5) in a grueling 81-minute tiebreak. Djokovic, visibly struggling with the injury sustained during his quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz, was booed by some sections of the Rod Laver Arena crowd as he exited the court, prompting him to respond with a double thumbs-up.
Djokovic revealed that he had not practiced since the Alcaraz match and had done everything possible to manage the injury, including medication, strapping, and physiotherapy. However, the pain became unbearable during the first set, forcing him to retire. “I knew even if I won the first set, it was going to be a huge uphill battle for me to stay physically fit enough to stay with him in the rallies for another two, three, four hours,” Djokovic said. “I don’t think I had that today in the tank.”
Zverev, who advanced to his first Australian Open final, defended Djokovic during his on-court interview, urging fans to show respect. “Please, guys, don’t boo a player when he goes out with an injury,” Zverev said. “Novak Djokovic is someone who has given this sport, for the past 20 years, absolutely everything of his life.” Zverev will face either Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton in Sunday’s final as he seeks his first Grand Slam title.
Djokovic, who has faced multiple injury setbacks in recent years, admitted there is a “chance” this could be his last appearance at the Australian Open. However, he remains determined to continue competing for major titles. “I’ll keep striving to win more Slams,” he said. “As long as I feel that I want to put up with all of this, I’ll be around.”
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