Novak Djokovic retires after a set in semifinals from Australian Open

The Australian Open lived an unexpected moment this Friday when Novak Djokovic, 10 times champion of the tournament, He decided to retire after losing the first set against German Alexander Zverev 7-6 (5).

The duel, which promised to be an epic battle, was marked by the lesion of the Serbian, which had already been a matter of concern in the previous days.

Djokovic, 37, dragged discomfort in the hamstrings from the quarterfinals, where he managed to overcome the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz in a physical and emotionally exhausting game.

However, the accumulated load and the effort to stay competitive ended up taking its toll.

After an hour and 21 minutes of intense exchanges in the semifinal, the Serbian failed a key volley on the Set Point in Zverev And, immediately, he walked to the network to congratulate his rival and announce his withdrawal.

Zverev asks for respect for Novak Djokovic

Zverev, now classified to his third Grand Slam final, asked for respect for Djokovic after some public boos in Melbourne Park.

“Please, do not abuchée a player when he retires injured. Especially to a player who has won this tournament with an abdominal rupture and with an injury to the hamstring, ”said the German.

The German tennis player became the third player in his country to reach the final of the Australian Open, after Boris Becker and Rainer Schuettler.

With this victory, Zverev is positioned at a step away from getting his first Grand Slam title. His rival in the final will be the winner of the duel between the Italian Jannik Sinner, in force champion of the tournament, and the American Ben Shelton.

The defeat and retreat of Djokovic, champion of 24 Grand Slam titles, mark the end of a golden era in the Australian Open, but also open the door to new figures like Zverev to write their own history.

Djokovic’s participation was under scrutiny from the quarterfinal match. After his victory against Alcaraz, the Serbian revealed that the injury was serious, although he managed to play thanks to the use of anti -inflammatory drugs.

The concern grew when he canceled his training on Thursday, although he managed to complete the warming prior to the semifinal without inconvenience.

Continue reading:

– Novak Djokovic exceeds Historic Record by Roger Federer in Grand Slams

– Novak Djokovic eliminates Carlos Alcaraz and advances to the semifinal of the Australian Open