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Full Presser: Novak addresses early exit | 10:27
Novak Djokovic has sent a sensation through the Australian Open by withdrawing from his semi-final against Alexander Zverev with an injury he brought into the match.
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After netting a high forehand volley to drop what had been a highly physical opening set in a tie-breaker, the Serbian shocked a capacity Rod Laver Crowd by withdrawing immediately from what was the 50th grand slam semifinal of his career.
“I did everything I possibly could to basically manage the muscle tear that I had,” he said.
“Towards the end of that first set, I started feeling more and more pain and it was too much to handle for me at the moment. It was an unfortunate ending, but I tried.”
Asked whether it might be the last time he steps on to Rod Laver Arena as an active player, the King of Melbourne Park said he will assess based on what unfolds throughout the remainder of the season.
At the age of 37, Djokovic was bidding to add a 25th grand slam title and also become the oldest player to win a grand slam title. But he has now been injured at Roland Garros in 2024 and now in Australia and failed to finish both events due to injury.
“I don’t know. There is a chance. Who knows? I will just have to see how the season goes,” he said.
“I want to keep going but whether I am going to have a revised schedule or not, we will see. If I am fit, healthy and motivated, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come.”
But the 24-time major champion, who is renowned for his remarkable flexibility and durability, acknowledged that as he is getting older, his body is starting to betray him more frequently.
“How much of a worry is it? I don’t know. 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 a way, in the last couple of years,” Djokovic said.
“So it is true that (I have been) getting injured quite a bit last few years. I don’t know what exactly is the reason for that, you know?
“Maybe (there are) several differently factors. 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.”
The 10-time Australian Open champion was booed off the court by some sections of the crowd, which were clearly stunned by the sudden finish to the semi-final.
In an interview with Serbian media, Djokovic said he could understand why people who had paid to attend the semifinal were upset but he was clearly injured.
“I don’t know what to say… people have come, they paid for the tickets expecting a great match and a big fight, which they didn’t get,” he said.
“From that perspective, I can understand. I am doing my best to understand them, but I am not sure whether they understand me or if they even want to understand me.
I know how my body works, what I feel, and I know how much I’ve given to this tournament in the past 20 plus years. I will stop here, so that I don’t continue in the wrong direction.”
Djokovic, meanwhile, responded to the criticism he received from American great John McEnroe, who said he was exaggerating the injury during his quarterfinal with Carlos Alcaraz.
“This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this routine. Don’t be fooled,” McEnroe said.
Asked to comment, the 24-time Grand Slam champion said he had not seen the criticism from McEnroe.
“To be honest, I haven’t seen these comments, so I can’t say more,” he said.
“What I can say is that it’s always easier to judge and criticize than to understand. It’s a lesson I’ve learned in life“.
NOVAK QUITS: Aus Open stunned to silence as Djoker abruptly pulls pin
‘DON’T BOO’: Zverev’s plea to Melbourne Park crowd after shock finish
Zverev, who has reached his third grand slam final after runs to the decider in New York in 2020 and Roland Garros last year, implored fans sitting courtside to show some respect.
“The very first thing I want to say is ‘please guys, don’t boo a player when he goes out with injury’” Zverev said.
“I know everybody paid for tickets and everybody wants to see a great five set match. (But) he has given to the sport for the last 20 years absolutely everything of his life and he has won the tournament with an abdominal tear, he has won it with a hamstring tear and if he cannot continue … (we should) really show some love from Novak as well.”
Australian John Millman, who lost to the 37-year-old in a US Open quarterfinal in 2017, was also disgusted by the treatment, describing it as “a disgrace” and “classless”, while renowned coach Brad Gilbert said he was stunned by the “booing”.
“This is a guy who’s won it 10 times. Have some respect,” he said.
“He is one of the all-time greats, if not the greatest to play. He’s definitely the greatest to play on this court. I don’t care how much you’ve spent on your ticket, have some respect.”
Djokovic, who injured an upper-leg muscle when beating Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday night, failed to train on either Wednesday or Thursday in the lead-in to the semi-final.
That is not altogether unusual, particularly for players dealing with a niggle.
But he hit the practice courts about 90 minutes before the scheduled start time of 2.30pm and engaged in a lengthy warm up before stepping onto Rod Laver Arena against Zverev.
It was an arduous opening set that lasted 81 minutes, with both players trading service breaks in a semi-final that featured several extended rallies.
Of the 83 points played in the set, 19 of them went for longer than nine shots and the German, who is a patient player, was clearly keen to engage his rival in lengthy points.
By the tie-breaker, which Zverev won 7-5, he felt the Serbian superstar was starting to move with less ease than earlier in the set.
“I actually thought it was quite a high level first set,” Zverev said.
“But there is some difficulties and the longer you continue playing, the worse it can get. We had extremely difficult, also physical rallies. In the tie-break, I did see him struggle a bit more.”
Djokovic said he might have continued had he won the first set but highly doubted he would have been able to survive the match, regardless of how he fared.
“If I won the first set, maybe I would try a few more games … but it was getting worse and worse,” he said.
“I knew even if I won the first set, it was going to be a huge uphill battle for me. I don’t think I had that, unfortunately, in the tank.”
The German, who quipped prior to the Australian Open that the only way he would win a major is if the Serbian legend allowed him to, said Djokovic had always been of great assistance to him and he was sorry to progress to his first Australian Open via an injury.
“On the one side, I am happy to be in the final of the Australian Open,” he said.
“On the other hand, I am being 100 per cent honest, there is no guy I respect on the tour more than Novak.
“He is always someone who (has) helped (me) a lot. It is how it is. He has won this tournament 10 times and I have nothing but respect for him.”
It means Djokovic, who added a golden touch to his remarkable resume when winning the Paris Olympics final last year over Alcaraz, has not won a major title since New York in 2023.
Asked how it felt to have to withdraw from a tournament where he has enjoyed so much success, Djokovic responded; “It is what it is.”
“Injury is the biggest enemy of a professional athlete. In the past I managed certain injuries (and a) few years ago that, to some extent, even helped me even play better and win the tournament,” he said.
“But it wasn’t to be this time. That’s okay. You know, I cannot throw away all the incredible memories and results and achievements that I’ve achieved here over the years just because this year, you know, I retired in the semifinals.
“I (am) still, of course, now freshly off the court, am disappointed and upset. But at the same time Australia always will stay in my head, in my heart, as the best slam that I’ve ever played and ever performed on.”
