Novak Djokovic hints at retirement from tennis in 2025 after his Australian Open exit
Novak Djokovic has not won a Grand Slam title since the US Open 2023, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final.
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Novak Djokovic (via X)
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has hinted at retiring after the 2025 tennis season. However, he mentioned that his final decision would depend on his performances in that year. He expressed a desire to keep playing if he is still performing well.
In the Australian Open 2025 semi-finals on Friday, Djokovic surprised everyone by retiring midway through his match against Alexander Zverev. He lost the first set 6-7(5) in a tie-break before withdrawing due to a muscle tear in his left leg.
The sudden retirement left both Zverev and the crowd at Rod Laver Arena in shock. As Djokovic walked off, some fans began to boo, and he responded with a simple thumbs-up.
Could this be my last Australian Open? It’s possible, I’ll have to see how the season goes. I want to continue.
Novak Djokovic said in his post-match press conference
Zverev later calmed the crowd during his post-match interview. He asked fans not to boo Djokovic, calling him a tennis legend who deserved respect. Djokovic had injured his left leg earlier in his quarter-final win against Carlos Alcaraz, but some, like John McEnroe, accused him of exaggerating the injury to unsettle his opponents.
🗣️🇷🇸 Novak Djokovic:
— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) January 24, 2025
“Could this be my last Australian Open? It’s possible, I’ll have to see how the season goes. I want to continue.”
😨 Confirms it’s a big tear, and that he felt a lot of pain (more than in 2023) – despite not practising for two days
📸 AFP pic.twitter.com/K8M6lDswSu
Djokovic is the only active player left from the Big Three, with Rafael Nadal retiring last year. His longtime rival Andy Murray also retired after the 2024 Paris Olympics and has since joined a coaching team. Djokovic, with his record 10 Australian Open titles, remains a key figure in tennis history.
Alexander Zverev moves into his first Australian Open final after Novak Djokovic’s retirement
Alexander Zverev reached his first Australian Open final after Novak Djokovic retired during their semi-final match in Melbourne. The German advanced after Djokovic ended the match following a tough opening set, which Zverev won 7-6(5). This result puts Zverev into his third Grand Slam final, where he will face either Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton.
Djokovic struggled with a muscle tear in his upper left leg. Despite his injury, he managed to compete well during the 81-minute first set. However, he could not continue after missing a volley on set point. His earlier performance against Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals had shown resilience, but his physical limitations were more evident in this match.
In the opening set, Djokovic fought hard. He saved five break points and created three chances to break Zverev’s serve. One of these came at 1-2, where he had a 0/40 lead. However, Zverev stayed strong under pressure and held his serve.
The tie-break was evenly matched, with both players holding the serve until the last point. Djokovic had an open court on the final point but missed a simple volley. This costly error gave Zverev the set and, ultimately, the match when Djokovic decided to stop playing.
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Fahad Hamid
(660 Articles Published)