In a surprising turn of events at the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic had to retire from his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev. Djokovic struggled with a left leg injury, which became too painful to continue.
Zverev won the first set in a tense tiebreaker, 7–6, after a battle that lasted an intense hour and 20 minutes. Once the set was over, Djokovic raised his thumb to signal his retirement, leaving the crowd in shock.
“Please, don’t boo a player when he goes out with injury,” Zverev pleaded to the crowd during his post-match interview.
Zverev expressed understanding towards the fans, saying, “I know everybody wants to see a great five-set match, but Novak has given everything to tennis for the last 20 years. If he can’t continue, it’s serious.”
Djokovic started strong, showing control early in the match. However, the injury he had dealt with before the match became more problematic as the set progressed. Despite managing the muscle tear to that point with medications and therapy, the pain intensified as the first set concluded.
Djokovic mentioned, “I did everything I could to manage the muscle tear, but the pain became unbearable.”
This retirement means that Djokovic misses the chance to win his 25th major title. Sadly, injuries have affected his ability to finish two of his last four Grand Slam tournaments.
Zverev will now advance to the final and face the winner of the other semi between defending champion Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton.
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Novak Djokovic,Alexander Zverev,Hannah Peters,semifinal match,Australian Open,muscle tear
