Novak Djokovic’s dreams of earning a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open were ended on Friday when he withdrew during his men’s singles semifinal against Alexander Zverev. Under the weather and struggling with a muscle tear in his left leg, the 37-year-old Serb withdrew after dropping the first set 7-6(7/5), leaving his future at Melbourne Park in doubt.
Djokovic, whose injury was first infused with drama on the back of his quarter-final win against Carlos Alcaraz, left the court to mixed reaction. When asked about his own increasingly uncertain future, he replied: “There is a chance that this could be my last Australian Open. “Well, if I’m fit and motivated, I’d love to come back, but it’s not certain yet.”
The semi-final loss leaves Djokovic waiting still to claim Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam titles, having last won at the 2023 US Open.
Zverev, who had reached his first Australian Open final, reacted with disappointment at the crowd’s boos. “Novak has contributed so much to this sport. “He is worthy of respect,” said the German.
His tiebreak error handed Zverev the first set, and the injury brought a premature ending. Zverev will play either Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton as he seeks his first Grand Slam title on Sunday.
