“What the hell”- Netizens in total shock as Novak Djokovic retires after first set against Alexander Zverev in Australian Open semifinals

Novak Djokovic was bidding to win his 25th Grand Slam title, but an injury ruined his chances as he withdrew from the semifinal.

“What the hell”- Netizens in total shock as Novak Djokovic retires after first set against Alexander Zverev in Australian Open semifinals

Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic (Images via X)

Novak Djokovic shockingly withdrew from the Australian Open semifinal match against Alexander Zverev. The match played inside the Rod Laver Arena on Friday (January 24), saw Djokovic lose the first set 7-6(5).

But just after that, the 37-year-old complained of injury, and to the dismay of the crowd, he gave a walkover to the second seed. The crowd started to boo him as he approached the net to shake hands with the German.

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Djokovic, who last lifted the title at Melbourne Park in 2023, was in pain during his quarterfinal clash with Carlos Alcaraz. In the first set, which he lost, he held his left thigh and winced in pain before taking a medical timeout, and staggered off the court to receive some treatment.

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He upset the youngster in that match and later claimed that had he lost the second set, he would have given a walkover to the 21-year-old Spaniard. But many thought Djokovic was just trying to trick Alcaraz into believing that he was injured, accusing Nole of pretending just to win the match.

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After retiring from the semifinal match, Djokovic in the press conference confirmed that he suffered a muscle tear and hinted at career retirement when he declared that he is uncertain about appearing in next year’s Australian Open.

Netizens react to Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal from semifinal match

Fans are in great shock, for they wanted to see Novak Djokovic script history at the Melbourne Slam. Some of them ridiculed the 24-time Grand Slam champion, as they still think the Serbian great faked an injury. A few fans even mocked Carlos Alcaraz, saying he lost to an injured player.

Novak Djokovic (7)
Novak Djokovic (Image via X)

Check out their reactions here:

Djokovic has now played five consecutive Grand Slam tournaments without winning a title. His last Major win was in the 2023 US Open, following which he was defeated by current World No.1 Jannik Sinner in the semifinal in the 2024 Australian Open.

He then pulled out of the French Open quarterfinal against Casper Ruud due to an injury. The Serbian great reached the Wimbledon final next and suffered a straight-set defeat against Alcaraz, before losing in the third round of the US Open.

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Alexander Zverev, who is yet to lift a Grand Slam title, has now become an Australian Open finalist for the first time, reaching the summit clash of a Grand Slam event for the third time, following the 2020 US Open and 2024 French Open. He is now waiting for the second semifinal match between Sinner and Ben Shelton.