**Injured Novak Djokovic Faces Boos After Withdrawing from Australian Open Semifinal: ‘I Gave It My All’**

 

Novak Djokovic, pictured exiting the court after retiring from the Australian Open tennis tournament in 2025.

Published on January 24, 2025 07:04AM EST

Novak Djokovic Forced to Withdraw from Australian Open Due to Injury

Novak Djokovic's quest for an 11th Australian Open title came to a halt after a muscle injury forced him to retire from his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev. The 37-year-old Serbian tennis star, who tore a muscle in Tuesday’s match against Carlos Alcaraz, arrived at Rod Laver Arena on Friday afternoon with his left leg heavily taped.

Despite his efforts, Djokovic played only one set before retiring, as confirmed by the BBC. Speaking at a press conference, he explained, "I did everything I possibly could to manage the muscle tear that I had. Towards the end of that first set, I just started feeling more and more pain. It was too much to handle."

Djokovic, a 10-time Australian Open champion, had skipped practice sessions on Wednesday and Thursday but remained optimistic about his chances. However, after losing the first set 7-6 (7-5) in 80 minutes, the pain became unbearable, leading to his withdrawal.

The crowd's reaction was mixed, with some of the 15,000 fans booing as Djokovic walked off the court. Addressing the incident, Djokovic told Serbian media, "People came here, paid for tickets, and expected a battle, and they didn’t get it. 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, and how much I gave to this tournament over the past 20-plus years."

Djokovic's resilience is well-documented. He previously claimed the 2021 Australian Open title while managing an abdominal muscle tear and competed with a hamstring injury in 2023.

Alexander Zverev defended Djokovic during his on-court interview, urging fans to show respect for the tennis legend. "Novak Djokovic has given everything to this sport for the past 20 years," Zverev said. "He has won this tournament with an abdominal tear and a hamstring tear."

Zverev will now face either Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton in the final as he aims for his first Grand Slam title on Sunday.