Melbourne: Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title came to a premature halt on Friday after he was forced to retire injured in the semi-final of the Australian Open against Alexander Zverev. Djokovic, who had been struggling with an injury to his upper left leg since the quarter-finals, went down 7-6 (7/5) in a tight first set before calling it quits. The 37-year-old Serbian’s leg was heavily taped, and after losing the set, he left the court amidst a mix of boos and applause from the crowd, as Zverev advanced to his first-ever Melbourne final.
This defeat marks Djokovic’s fifth consecutive Grand Slam without capturing the title that would have seen him surpass Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. The Serbian has not won a major since the 2023 US Open, casting doubt on whether he will ever surpass Court. The loss also denied Djokovic a 100th career title, with only Roger Federer (102 titles) having achieved that milestone.
Zverev, who has been a runner-up at two Grand Slams (2020 US Open and 2022 French Open), will now face either world number one Jannik Sinner or American 21st seed Ben Shelton in Sunday’s final. This marks a significant achievement for Zverev, who had never reached a Melbourne final before, despite coming close last year in a five-set semi-final defeat to Daniil Medvedev.
Not how we wanted your campaign to end, @djokernole.
Thank you for another wonderful Australian summer. Well played and best wishes for a speedy recovery.#AO2025 pic.twitter.com/d5VJ6YNBeN
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2025
Djokovic entered the match with concerns over his fitness, having required medical treatment during his quarter-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz. Although he initially looked sharp on court, moving well in his opening game and saving several break points, the injury ultimately took its toll. Zverev, too, faced his own struggles with his serve but managed to hold off break points before the match was decided by a tense tiebreaker, after which Djokovic’s retirement ended his campaign.
The shocking early exit has raised further questions about Djokovic’s ability to recover and maintain his dominance, leaving his hopes of surpassing Court’s record hanging in the balance.
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