Novak Djokovic has made a significant statement regarding his rumored retirement following his emotional loss in the Australian Open semi-final. Djokovic’s dream of winning his 11th championship and 25th Grand Slam title came to an unexpected end on Friday, January 24, when he had to retire from the match due to injury.
The Serbian star had been playing well against Alexander Zverev but his left leg injury, sustained during his quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz, worsened. Despite trying to continue, Djokovic eventually admitted he had no energy left to keep playing due to the worsening pain.
Speaking after the match, Djokovic said, “I did everything I possibly can to manage the muscle tear that I had. Medications, the strap, 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.”
However, Djokovic has made it clear that he does not plan to retire anytime soon. When asked if this might have been his last match at the Australian Open, he replied, “I don’t know, there is a chance. Who knows? I’ll just have to see how the season goes.”
He added, “I want to keep going. But whether I’m going to have a revised schedule or not for the next year, I’m not sure. I normally like to come to Australia to play. 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. But there’s always a chance, yeah.”
The crowd initially reacted with surprise, but that feeling quickly turned to anger, and they expressed their disapproval by booing Djokovic.
When asked about the crowd’s reaction, Djokovic said, “I don’t know what to say. People have come and paid for the tickets expecting a great match and a big fight, which they didn’t get.”
The 37-year-old added, “From that perspective, I can understand. I am doing my best to understand them, but I am not sure whether they understand me or if they even want to.”
Meanwhile, Zverev is now set to face world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final on Sunday.
