Djokovic CRASHES Out of Australian Open! Zverev Advances in SHOCKING Turn of Events
Novak Djokovic, the 10-time Australian Open champion, was forced to retire from his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev due to a left leg injury, sending Zverev into the final.
The crowd reacted with a mix of boos and silence as Djokovic, visibly struggling, walked off the court after losing the first set 7-6 (5) in a tiebreak. Zverev, who is seeking his first Grand Slam title, addressed the crowd during his on-court interview, urging them to show respect for the injured champion.
“Please, guys, don’t boo a player when he goes out with injury,” Zverev said to cheers. “I know that everybody paid for tickets and everybody wants to see, hopefully, a great five-set match and everything, but you got to understand: Novak Djokovic is somebody that has given the sport for the past 20 years absolutely everything of his life.”
“He has won this tournament with an abdominal tear, he has won this tournament with a hamstring tear… if he cannot continue a tennis match, it really means that he cannot continue a tennis match,” Zverev added. “So please, be respectful and really show some love for Novak as well.”
Zverev will now face either No. 1 Jannik Sinner or American Ben Shelton in the final.
Djokovic later explained to reporters that he was dealing with a muscle tear that worsened throughout the first set. “I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had,” Djokovic said. He revealed that medications, physiotherapy, and a leg brace provided some relief, but the pain became too intense to continue.
