Novak Djokovic is out of the Australian Open in stunning fashion. The 24-time slam champion medically retired immediately after dropping the first set of his semifinal match against No. 2 Alexander Zverev in a tiebreak 7-6 (5).
It’s the first time Djokovic has ever retired in a major.
As the clip above conveys, Djokovic’s retirement was met with a mix of stunned silence, confusion, cheers and boos. Zverev quickly appealed to those who engaged in the booing:
“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 that everybody paid for tickets and everybody wants to see, hopefully, a great five-set match and everything, but you’ve got to understand Novak Djokovic is somebody that has given this 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 a tennis match, it really means that he cannot finish a tennis match, so please be respectful and really show some love for Novak as well.”
Djokovic, 37, overcame a left leg injury to beat Carlos Alcaraz in an enthralling quarterfinal, but that injury proved to be too much two days later. After failing to win a major in 2024, it’s surely a brutally disappointing end to Djokovic’s time in Melbourne. After entering as the No. 7 seed, his “Drive for 25” (majors) — including his 11th Australian Open title — remains on hold, as do his hopes for his 100th ATP Tour title.
Zverev, meanwhile, advances to the third major final of his career and his first at the Australian Open. He has never won a major. He’ll face the winner of No. 21 Ben Shelton vs. No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
