Australian Open: Injured Novak Djokovic withdraws after losing first sets 7-6 to Alexander Zverev

On By Littum

Melbourne, Australia - January 24: Novak Djokovic from Serbia responds in the semi -finals of the men's singles against Alexander Zverev from Germany under Day 13 in 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Novak Djokovic withdrew after a 7-6 first set that lasted an hour and 20 minutes in the men’s semi-finals in 2025 Australian Open on January 24, 2025. (Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

In a fantastic development at the Australian Open, an injured Novak Djokovic withdrew after losing the first set of his semi -final match against Alexander Zverev.

Zverev, No. 2 seed, won a tiring first set in a 7-6 tiebreaker lasting an hour and 26 minutes. No. 7 Djokovic decided he could not continue with a left -hand injury that prevented him throughout the match. The 10-time Australian Open Master afterwards revealed that the injury was a muscle recovery.

As soon as the set ended, Djokovic set up his thumbs and cashed in the match. Zverev looked shocked, and the very pro-joker audience at Rod Laver Arena was tossed in disbelief.

“Please, Gutter – Don’t Buh a player when he goes out with an injury,” Zverev said on the field in his interview after the match.

“I know everyone has paid for tickets and everyone wants to see a fantastic match with five sets. But you have to understand in the last 20 years that Novak Djokovic has given tennis absolutely everything,” he added. “He has won this tournament with an overgrowth in his stomach, a slap in the back thigh. If he cannot continue with this match, it means that he really cannot continue.”

Djokovic set the pace early in the match and seemed to control the game, to Zverev’s frustration. Despite the fact that he could consistently return the serve, Zverev was often prevented by Djokovic’s games on the web.

Although the injury bothered Djokovic during his quarterfinals victory over Carlos Alcaraz and he was unable to train on Wednesday or Thursday before the match with Zverev, it didn’t seem to be a problem. During the ESPN broadcast, the TV stations John McEnroe and Jim Courier both noticed that Djokovic did not play as if he were injured.

It obviously changed as the first set progressed. Djokovic limped as he walked to his chair at changing ends. Still, he almost won. What would have happened if Djokovic had won? Would he have tried to play another set or two? He admitted that it would have been difficult.

“Until an hour before today’s game, I did everything I could to cope with the muscle tearing I had,” Djokovic told journalists afterwards.

“Medications and the Remmen and Physio work helped to some extent today,” he continued. “But towards the end of the first set, I just started to feel more and more pain and it was too much for me to deal with me at the moment. So an unfortunate ending, but I tried.”

For Djokovic, the withdrawal means that he will not win his record 25. Major title and 11. Australian Open. Injuries have prevented him from ending two of his last four Grand Slam tournaments. He withdrew from last year’s French Open before the quarterfinals due to a torn meniscus in his right knee.

When asked if this could be his last Australian Open, Djokovic said, “There’s a chance, who knows.”

“I’ll have to see how the season is going,” he added. “I want to continue, but whether I need a revised schedule or not, I don’t know. If I’m healthy, healthy, motivated, I’ll always come here.”

Zverev will meet the winner of the other men’s semi-final between the defending Australian Open champion and No. 1-Seed Jannik Sinner and No. 21 Ben Shelton. He is pursuing his first major tournament title.