John Millman blasts Australian Open crowd for ‘crossing the line’ with their behavior towards Novak Djokovic after his semifinals retirement

Novak Djokovic couldn't complete the Australian Open semifinals against Alexander Zverev due to a recurring muscular injury.

John Millman blasts Australian Open crowd for ‘crossing the line’ with their behavior towards Novak Djokovic after his semifinals retirement

John Millman and Novak Djokovic (Image via Open Source/X

John Millman criticized some tennis fans at Melbourne Park for booing Novak Djokovic after his unexpected retirement from the Australian Open semifinals on Friday. He called out the behavior, saying it reflected poorly on certain members of the crowd.

Djokovic retired from his Australian Open semi-final after losing the first set due to a muscle tear in his leg. He explained that continuing to play could have made the injury worse.

YouTube video

I just think its a bit of a shambles. Some of the behavior has crossed the line, and that one takes the cake for me. This is the guy that has won it ten times. Have some respect. He’s one of the all-time greats, if not the greatest to play. He’s definitely the greatest to play on this court. I don’t care how much you have paid for your ticket. Have some respect.

John Millman on air via Wide World of Sports

Millman highlighted that, despite Djokovic’s incredible success in Melbourne, he has also faced challenges. The Serbian star was deported during the pandemic and refused an on-court interview with Jim Courier during this year’s tournament.

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The retired Australian player emphasized the need for better behavior from some fans, especially towards a player with Djokovic’s achievements and history at Melbourne Park. The Serb has yet to confirm his future tournaments, with the Qatar Open initially scheduled on his calendar.

Novak Djokovic’s change of fate at the Australian Open

Novak Djokovic‘s campaign at the 2025 Australian Open came to an abrupt end on Friday, January 24, against Alexander Zverev. The Serbian star was aiming for his 11th Australian Open title and his 25th Grand Slam title overall.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (via X)

This defeat continues a disappointing trend for Djokovic in Australia over the past few years. Until 2021, he was almost unbeatable at Melbourne Park, winning eight of the previous 11 Australian Open tournaments. However, in the last four years, he has won only one Australian Open title.

Djokovic’s fortunes at the semifinal stage of the Australian Open have also shifted. Before 2024, he was 10-0 in semifinal matches at Melbourne Park and consistently went on to win the title.

Since then, he has gone 0-2 in the Australian Open semifinals. In 2024, he lost in four sets to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.