By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday January 24, 2025
Novak Djokovic, his left bandaged heavily, had to tap out of his semifinal with Alexander Zverev in Melbourne, sending the German through to the final.
Photo Source: Getty
There was one big question mark ahead of Novak Djokovic's semifinal with Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open: how well will he have recovered from the muscle tear that he suffered three days ago during his win over Carlos Alcaraz?
After one hour and 26 minutes of back-and-forth tennis with the German on Rod Laver Arena on Day 13 we have our answer.
The Grand Slam king pulled the plug after dropping the first set, ending his bid for a 25th major title and 11th in Australia, as the German pushes through to his first Australian Open final, 7-6(5) RET.
It is now two of the last four majors that Djokovic has been unable to finish the tournament. The 37-year-old, who will turn 38 on May 22nd, has been stuck on 24 majors since the 2023 US Open.
Zverev, meanwhile, is into his third career major final, and second from the last four Slams.
"It's a very good results considering the circumstances," Djokovic said of his run to the semis in Melbourne. "But it's not satisfying to me, you know, for my standards. I always look for the highest goal, to reach the finals and fight for a trophy.
"I wish Sascha all the best. You know, he deserves his first slam. I'll be cheering for him. Hopefully he can get it here."
Djokovic said his injury wasn't much different from the one he suffered during his title run in 2023, but his body just couldn't recover in time.
“It's a muscle tear,” Djokovic explained moments after the match in his post-match press conference. “Two years ago, you know, I have managed it better. On the court it didn't bother me as much. This time that wasn't the case.”
Fun while it lasted
The first set was innocent enough, though it was clear that Djokovic was not quite at 100 percent as he entered his 13th career meeting with Zverev. Still, he managed to save all five break points he faced in the opening set as he stayed on serve with Zverev through the 86-minute stanza.
There were signs that he was resigned to his fate, however.
Djokovic didn’t run for Zverev’s winner to go to 6-6 in set one. He had taken some pills during the previous changeover, and was clearly trying to conserve every ounce of energy that he had.
It was clear at this point that Djokovic needed the first-set tiebreaker more than Zverev, and he put himself in position to take it. A second-serve ace out wide kept Zverev ahead at 4-3, with all points going to the server. A bautiful – and daring – drop-lob combo brought Djokovic to 5-4, still on serve. Zverev’s 24th winner, which Djokovic didn’t bother to chase, gave the German a set point at 6-5, after 80 minutes.
On the ensuing point Djokovic did everything well, but dumped an easy volley into the net to hand Zverev the set. He didn’t hesitate, electing instead to cross the net and shake hands with Zverev.
Zverev improves to 5-8 lifetime against the Serbian, as he gets his first win at a major over Djokovic. He will face either top-seeded Jannik Sinner or American Ben Shelton in Sunday's final.
“I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had,” Djokovic said. “Medications and, I guess, the strapping, and the physio work helped to some extent today. But towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain. It was too much, I guess, to handle for me at the moment.
“Unfortunate ending, but I tried.”
The greatest men’s singles champion in Australian Open history left the court to applause with a smattering of audible boos mixed in. It was a bittersweet sendoff for a player that has dominated Rod Laver Arena like no other player.
In a classy maneuver, Zverev was quick to call out the guilty parties during his on-court interview with Jim Courier.
"The very first thing i want to say, is please, guys, don't boo a player when he goes out with injury,” he said, adding: “He was won this tournament with an abdominal tear, he has won this tournament with a hamstring tear, if he cannot continue a tennis match it really means that he can't continue a tennis match."
Will this be Djokovic’s final Australian Open?
Is this the end of the road for the 10-time champion in Melbourne?
“I don't know,” he said. “There is a chance. Who knows? I'll just have to see how the season goes. I want to keep going. I've had the biggest success in my career here. So if I'm fit, healthy, motivated, I don't see a reason why I wouldn't come.”