Djokovic Contemplates Semifinal Withdrawal, Says ‘I Could Only Push So Far’

Synopsis

Novak Djokovic's pursuit of an 11th Australian Open title ended abruptly when he retired from the semifinal against Alexander Zverev due to injury. The 37-year-old reflected on social media, sharing that he ‘could only push so far’ after a competitive first set.

Key Takeaways

Djokovic retired due to injury in the semifinals.
He expressed that he ‘could only push so far.’
Zverev advanced to the final after Djokovic's retirement.
Djokovic's performance was impacted by a previous upper-leg injury.
He continues to chase his 11th Australian Open title.

Melbourne, Jan 24 (NationPress) Novak Djokovic's quest for a record-breaking 11th Australian Open hit a significant setback when the Serbian tennis star retired due to injury after the first set of his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev on Friday. At the age of 37, he took to social media to share his thoughts on the retirement, expressing that he ‘could only push so far.’

"I tried to recover for today’s match, but I could only push so far. Nonetheless, there are positives to take away from this year’s Aus Open. Congratulations to @AlexZverev for reaching another Grand Slam final. I wish you the best in winning the title because you truly deserve it, my friend," Djokovic wrote in a social media update.

After a hard-fought first set lasting 81 minutes, Djokovic retired while trailing Zverev 7-6(5). He lost the first set in a tiebreak after sending the ball into the net, which resulted in the mini-break. Following the 7-6(5) loss, Djokovic shook hands with the No. 2 seed, allowing the German to advance to the final.

Djokovic had pushed Zverev throughout a tense one-hour and 21-minute opening set but was unable to continue after missing a volley during the set point.

Having recovered from an upper-leg injury during an impressive quarterfinal against Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic was visibly limited against Zverev, despite keeping the score competitive. On Tuesday, he had battled through pain to defeat Alcaraz, aiming for a record-extending 25th major. The Serbian, who had his upper left leg taped during the match against Alcaraz, was chasing an 11th Australian Open title after previously winning the hard-court event in 2023 while managing an injury.

Now through to his third major final, Zverev will face defending champion Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic becomes the third player in the Open Era to compete in the semifinals of the Australian Open at the age of 37 or older, joining the ranks of Ken Rosewall and Roger Federer. The former No. 1 ATP player has struggled to regain his peak performance at major tournaments in 2024, with his victory over World No. 3 Alcaraz in the quarterfinal marking his first triumph against a Top 10 player at a Slam since 2023, when he defeated Daniil Medvedev to secure his 24th major at the US Open.