Qualified for the final of the Australian Open after the abandonment of Novak Djokovic in the semi-final, the world No. 2 defended the Serb, who came out to the whistles of the public.
“We have to stop blaming Novak”insisted the German, who had just won the first set after 1 hour 20 minutes of fighting on the court of the Rod Laver Arena when the former world No.1, hit in the left thigh, threw in the towel , triggering boos and whistles from the audience. “Novak knows his body better than anyone, it’s that simple”Zverev argued.
After losing the first set, Djokovic “probably knew that to beat me he would have to play at least three more hours. It's very hard to continue playing at high intensity.” with a muscle injury because “it does not fade” as the match progresses. “In the worst case scenario, it can even make things worse”continued Zverev, also forced to retire in the semi-final of a Grand Slam, against Rafael Nadal at Roland-Garros in 2022.
«There is a limit to the number of painkillers you can take.”
“What could a doctor have done about it? He was already on painkillers. At any given time, there is a limit to the number of painkillers you can take.argued Zverev to defend Djokovic, who was seeking a record 25th Grand Slam title in Melbourne.
“Novak has done absolutely everything in his power on a tennis court over the last 20 years. He won that tournament with an abdominal tear that would have prevented most players from continuing to play. He won that tournament with a torn hamstring. It’s a tenfold winner” of the Australian Open, listed Zverev, who will play his third Grand Slam final on Sunday, after losing the first two at the US Open in 2020 and Roland-Garros in 2024.
-“I feel nothing but respect for him and I admire him. No one in the history of this sport has won and achieved as much as him.”
“I feel nothing but respect for him and I admire him. No one in the history of this sport has won and achieved as much as him.concluded the 27-year-old German, “obviously happy” to have another chance to win his first major trophy despite the circumstances of his qualification.
“Did I want the match to end this way? Obviously not. But it happens sometimes in sports. I experienced this situation at Roland-Garros, with undoubtedly a more serious injury (on the right ankle, Editor’s note). It’s life, it’s sport.”
