In a surprising turn of events at Melbourne Park, Novak Djokovic retired from his semifinal match due to a muscle injury in his left thigh. The incident occurred on Saturday during his clash with Alexander Zverev, leaving some spectators to express their disappointment by booing the tennis star off the court. Despite the setback, Djokovic remains committed to pursuing more Grand Slam victories.
The injury, a muscle strain, was evident as Djokovic took the court with his left thigh taped. At 37 years old, he was unsure if he would have been able to continue even if he had clinched the first set. This marks his second injury setback at a Grand Slam within a year. Earlier, he withdrew from the French Open due to a knee problem before a scheduled quarterfinal against Casper Ruud.
Djokovic's resilience has been tested in Melbourne before. He battled through a hamstring injury two years ago, and an abdominal muscle tear during his 2021 championship run at the same venue. This time, he entered the match under pressure following a demanding quarterfinal victory over Carlos Alcaraz, where he required a lengthy medical timeout after the first set.
Reflecting on his retirement, Djokovic maintained a philosophical outlook, expressing his intention to support Zverev in the tournament. He assured fans of his unwavering pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title despite feeling "upset and disappointed" about having to exit early.
“I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy: thank him for being here with me, give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels,” – Novak Djokovic
Djokovic acknowledged the frequency of injuries in recent years but remained optimistic about his future in the sport. While he has noticed an uptick in physical setbacks, he is determined to continue competing and adding to his illustrious career achievements.
“It’s not like I’m worrying approaching every Grand Slam now whether I’m going to get injured or not, but statistics are against me in the last couple of years,” – Novak Djokovic
“So it is true that (I am) getting injured quite a bit the last few years. I don’t know what exactly is the reason for that. Maybe several different factors,” – Novak Djokovic
In spite of the challenges, Djokovic stands firm in his resolve to keep playing.
“But I’ll keep going. I’ll keep striving to win more Slams. And as long as I feel that I want to put up with all of this, I’ll be around,” – Novak Djokovic
He reflected positively on his performance leading up to the injury, noting that he played exceptionally well over the past year.
“I actually thought I played really well, as well as I played the last 12 months, to be honest,” – Novak Djokovic
