This time, there was no Melbourne miracle for him. Decuple winner of the tournament, Novak Djokovic had taken the right habit of overcoming many events in the past. By his own admission, he even flourished in the “drama” and twice at least, in 2021 and 2023, the Serbian had gone lifting the trophy despite the injuries contracted during the fortnight. As two years ago, the Serbian suffered from a thigh tear, but this Friday in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, he may hold his teeth, the pain was too strong.
“I haven’t struck a ball since the match against Alcaraz, so until an hour before the semi-final today (In the warm-up, editor’s note), he explained at a press conference after his abandonment. I did everything I could to better manage the muscle tear I had. Medicines, strap and work with physiotherapy have helped me to some point today. But yes, towards the end of the first set, I started to feel the pain more and more. It was too much. It’s an unhappy end, but I tried.”
A big fault, abandonment and whistles: the terrible end of the 1st set of Djokovic against Zverev
Video credit: Eurosport
If I had won the 1st set, I might have tried a few more games
And Djokovic to embark on the comparison with his epic in 2023. “I had managed it better. And it even helped me play better (by taking more risks and initiatives to shorten points, editor’s note) And win the tournament. On the court, it didn’t bother me as much. In this kind of circumstances, everything you can in a reduced time have to be done. I had an additional day of rest, so I thought it might be enough. But that was not the case, unfortunately. I accept it. I cannot throw in the trash all the memories, the results and the incredible achievements that I had here just because this year, I abandoned in the semi-finals. Of course, I am disappointed, but Australia will remain in my head and in my heart the Grand Slam where I played the best.”
At 37 years old, Djokovic knows his body better than anyone and knows what he can make him endure. His decision to stop the costs cannot be called into question from this point of view. But she surprised, because the Serb managed to hang on in a first set finally sold on the wire in tie-break to Alexander Zverev after more than 1 hour 20 minutes.
The latest Australian Open for Djokovic? “There’s a chance, who knows?”
Video credit: Eurosport
-An immense fight seemed to be engaged, so when he suddenly stopped, the public’s frustration was palpable and some unwelcome whistles came down from the stands. Couldn’t the Serbian resist as he had done against Alcaraz? It would be to forget that he had already indicated that he could have abandoned in the previous round if the Spaniard had led two heats to nothing.
The weight of years and an increasingly fragile body
“If I had won this first set, maybe I would have tried to hold a few more games, half a set, maybe even a set. I don’t know. It was worse in worse. I knew that even if I won the first set, it was going to be a huge and painful battle for me to hang on to the exchanges for two, three or four hours. Unfortunately, I don’t think I had enough in the tank today“I said the world’s ex-number 1.
Djokovic is also the first frustrated by the situation, he who was reassured by his level of play in this fortnight. To tell the truth, he saw himself going to the end if his body had spared him. But this is precisely where the shoe has been pinches for a few months. In Roland-Garros in 2024, his knee had prevented him from aligning himself in the quarterfinals. At the US Open, it was sorely lacking in energy, and in Melbourne, it was his left thigh that betrayed him. Would the weight of years be felt more and more?
“The question now arises on the sequence of matches in fifteen. Is he still capable? We don’t know. It may be a little early to make parallels, but we had seen a Rafael Nadal who was no longer able to gradually keep the distance in a big slam because there was always a little physical glitch or a big injury Who happened. We see that this is also the case for Novak Djokovic“, Consider Arnaud Clément, consultant for Eurosport.
The inner fire still burns, despite everything
The main interested party is also aware of this new fragility. What if this Australian Open was the last of his prodigious career? “I don’t know. There is a possibility. Who knows? I have to see how the season goes. I want to continue. But I will see my programming or not for next year? ‘am not sure. But there is always a possibility, yes, “he confessed.
The good news despite everything is that the inner fire always burns. His attitude during this fortnight proved it. “”I do not worry when I approach a big slam, but the statistics are against me. It is true that I was a little injured lately, I do not know exactly the reason. It is a combination of different factors perhaps. But I will continue, I will continue to do my best to earn more Great Chelems. As long as I feel that I want to make all these efforts, I will be there.“
Zverev: “Please don’t whistle a player who abandons, so respect Novak”
Video credit: Eurosport
