Why Novak Djokovic Retired from Australian Open Semi-Final

Novak Djokovic was forced to retire from his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev after suffering a torn muscle in his upper left leg. The 37-year-old, struggling with the injury, admitted there is a “chance” this could be his final appearance at the tournament.

Djokovic conceded the match immediately after hitting a simple volley into the net on set point. Some sections of the crowd booed him as he walked off the court, despite him clearly battling the injury during the 82-minute first set.

The injury occurred during his intense comeback win over Carlos Alcaraz in Tuesday’s quarter-finals. Djokovic, who played through pain during that match, revealed he was unable to train on Wednesday or Thursday and simply had no energy left.

While his retirement ended his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title in Melbourne, Djokovic remained determined, saying, “I’ll keep going. I’ll keep striving to win more slams. And as long as I feel that I want to keep doing this, I’ll be around.”

Zverev now moves on to his first Australian Open final, where he will face Jannik Sinner, who defeated Ben Shelton in straight sets.