Watch: Injured Novak Djokovic's Classy Reaction As Melbourne Crowd Starts Booing Him
Novak Djokovic's Australian Open 2025 campaign came to an early end with injury forcing him out of his semifinal clash against Alexander Zverev on Friday.
A muscle tear in left leg ended Novak Djokovic’s bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title on Friday as he withdrew midway from his men’s singles semifinal match of the Australian Open 2025. Djokovic, who was struggling with the injury, lost the opening set 6-7 in one-hour and 21 minutes to Alexander Zverev.
However, soon after the first set concluded, Djokovic shook hands with the German and thus clearing the way for the world no. 2 to enter his maiden Australian Open final.
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As the Serbian was waving goodbye to the crowd having packed his bags, some fans started booing him.
Not how we wanted your campaign to end, @djokernole.Thank you for another wonderful Australian summer. Well played and best wishes for a speedy recovery.#AO2025 pic.twitter.com/d5VJ6YNBeN
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2025
Djokovic later said he understood the reaction.
“I don’t know what to tell you. But people came here, paid for the tickets and expected a battle, and they didn’t get it," The Sydney Morning Hearled quoted the 37-year-old as saying. “If you look at it that way, I understand. At least I’m trying to understand them. I don’t know if they understand me or wish to understand me. I know what’s in my body, what I feel, how much I gave of myself to this tournament in the past 20 plus years. Now I’ll stop, so I don’t continue down the wrong path."
Djokovic defeated title favourite Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
“Well, I didn’t hit a ball since (the) Alcaraz match, so until like an hour before today’s match. I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had. Yeah, medications and, I guess, the strap, and the physio work helped to some extent today. But towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain. It was, yeah, too much, I guess, to handle for me at the moment," Djokovic said.
“(An) unfortunate ending, but I tried. I cannot throw away all the incredible memories and results and achievements that I have achieved here over the years, just because this year, you know, I retired in the semi-finals," he added.
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