Novak Djokovic was abruptly pulled from his Australian Open 2025 semi-final match against Alexander Zverev in Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Friday. An injury forced the Serbian ace to withdraw after the opening set, in which he lost 6(5)-7(7). Djokovic was seen in pain during his quarter-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz. But he faced claims that he was acting to catch his opponent off guard.
Djokovic even cancelled his training sessions before the semi-finals, citing a hamstring injury. The Serbian reportedly had a last-minute practice session with Andy Murray 90 minutes before his match on Friday to take a call. Djokovic showed up for his semi-final match against Zverev. Indicating that he and his coaching team believed he was fit enough to continue his quest for a record-extending Australian Open victory.
But it wasn’t meant to be, as his movement appeared significantly limited in the opening set. He tried to finish points fast so he didn’t have to run much. His decision to retire after the first set astonished and dismayed Zverev and the Rod Laver audience. The German star, a two-time Grand Slam runner-up, will face the winner of Jannik Sinner vs. Ben Shelton in the final.
Novak Djokovic’s Retirement
Fans began to boo Novak Djokovic as he walked away towards the dressing room. But he merely answered with a thumbs-up. The Serbian had injured his left leg against Alcaraz, and it appeared he wasn’t acting. Meanwhile, Zverev had to intervene during his courtside interview to calm the crowd. He asked fans not to boo a legend like Djokovic. The men’s final is slated for Sunday, while the women’s final will be held on Saturday.
Speaking during the post-match press conference, Djokovic confirmed that he was suffering from a ‘muscle tear’ which led to his withdrawal after the first set. “Yes, I did everything I possibly could to basically manage the muscle tear I had. Yes, medications I guess the strap and the physio worked helped to some extent today. But yes, towards the end of that first set, I just started feeling more and more pain. It was, yes, too much, I guess to handle for me at the moment.”
