Melbourne, Australia — In a dramatic turn of events at the Australian Open semifinals, Novak Djokovic retired injured after dropping the first set against Alexander Zverev, resulting in audible boos from some sections of the crowd. This shocking moment unfolded on Friday as Djokovic, who was aiming for a record-extending 11th title at the tournament and seeking his 25th Grand Slam overall, exited the match after losing 7-6 (7-5) in a hard-fought tie-breaker.

The 37-year-old Serbian had entered the match with his upper left leg heavily bandaged, following an injury sustained in his quarterfinal victory over world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz. After hitting a volley into the net and conceding the first set, Djokovic approached Zverev to shake hands and waved to the crowd, which greeted him with mixed reactions. Zverev, empathizing with Djokovic's situation, addressed the crowd urging respect for Djokovic, stating, “Please, guys, don’t boo a player when he goes out with injury,” according to BBC.

After his early exit, Djokovic conveyed his disappointment in a post-match conference, explaining, “It was getting worse and worse... I knew even if I won the first set, it was going to be a huge uphill battle for me.” He confirmed that the pain was unbearable, ultimately leading to his retirement. Djokovic admitted he had been managing a muscle tear, stating, “I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had,” as he spoke to reporters following the match (South China Morning Post).

In a show of positivity, Djokovic took to social media to share an MRI scan of his injured hamstring, saying, “Thought I’d leave this here for all the sports injury ‘experts’ out there,” although he did not disclose specific details regarding his injury or recovery timeline, per AP News.

With this retirement, Djokovic faces increasing scrutiny about his longevity in the sport as he prepares for the future and the potential for more Grand Slam challenges. Despite recent injury setbacks, he remains determined, declaring, “I’ll keep striving to win more Slams,” indicating his unwillingness to retire just yet. Djokovic noted that he hopes to return to the Australian Open in the following year, contingent on his health and motivation (HuffPost).

Meanwhile, Zverev progresses to the finals where he will compete for his first Grand Slam title against either Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton, with the tennis world now eagerly observing the events that follow Djokovic's unexpected exit from the tournament.