YUICHI YAMAZAKI / AFP
Novak Djokovic, here giving up during his semi-final at the Australian Open, in Melbourne, January 24, 2025.
TENNIS – It's a bitter outing for Novak Djokovic, perhaps for his potential last Australian Open. After 1h20 of fierce fighting, the semi-final clash between the 37-year-old Serbian player and Alexander Zverev ended abruptly at 7-6 (7/5) in favor of the German this Friday January 24, much to the chagrin from the audience at Rod Laver Arena.
Affected in the left thigh since his quarter-final on Wednesday against Carlos Alcaraz, “Djoko” was in fact forced to retire, overcome by the pain resulting from this “muscle tear”he then explained at a press conference.
As if that wasn't enough of his pain, part of the audience whistled at the Serbian as he left the court, even though the other part was applauding at the time, as can be heard in the video below.
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“Please don’t whistle at a player when he comes out injured. I know everyone paid for tickets, but Novak Djokovic has given the sport everything he has over the last 20 years. Show some love »reacted afterwards Alexander Zverev, during his post-match interview on the court.
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-Fair-play
Novak Djokovic was just as fair at the press conference, full of praise for his opponent of the day: “He deserves to win his first Grand Slam. I will support him in the final. »
“I saw him play, I trained with him (in Australia), I have the impression that he loves the playing conditions”he observed before the semi-final. “He is an extremely dangerous opponent for any player on this surface”had warned Novak Djokovic, who will now return to Europe for treatment.
“Considering the circumstances, a semi-final is a very good result, but I still want to fight for the trophy”concluded the former world No.1, who believes he has “very well played” during this first tournament under the direct supervision of his ex-rival and new coach Andy Murray.
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“I tried to recover for today's match but I couldn't go any further. Nonetheless, there are some positives to take away from this year's Australian Open. Congratulations to Alexander Zverev for reaching another Grand Slam final. I wish you to win the title because you deserve it, my friend”also wrote “Djoko” on his social networks after the meeting.
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