Novak Djokovic said on Friday there was a chance he may have played his last Australian Open after retiring with a muscle tear in the semi-finals, leaving his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam crown in tatters.
The 37-year-old’s upper left leg was heavily taped again after injuring it in the quarter-finals. The Serb retired after losing the first set 7-6 (7/5) to Alexander Zverev.
Djokovic left the court to a mixture of boos and applause as the German advanced to his first Melbourne final.
“There is a chance. Who knows,” Djokovic said when asked if he might have graced the Melbourne Park courts for the last time.
“I’ll just have to see how the season goes. 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, and motivated, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come,” he added.
“But there’s always a chance, yeah.”
Djokovic has now gone five Grand Slams without winning the title he needs to surpass Margaret Court’s 24 and become the all-time leader.
He failed to win a Grand Slam for the first time in seven years in 2024, with his last victory coming at the 2023 US Open, raising further doubt about whether he will ever surpass Court.
His semi-final agony also deprived him of a 100th career title.
“I actually thought I played really well, as well as I played in the last 12 months, to be honest,” he said about his tournament performance.
“I liked my chances if I was physically fit and ready to battle. I think I was striking the ball very well. A lot of positives to take in terms of how I played.
“I wish Sascha (Zverev) all the best. You know, he deserves his first Slam. I’ll be cheering for him.”
Boos for Djokovic
Zverev’s reward is a showdown on Sunday against either world number one Jannik Sinner or American 21st seed Ben Shelton.
While the German has been a Grand Slam runner-up twice before—at last year’s French Open and the 2020 US Open—this marks his first appearance in a Melbourne final.
Last year, at the same semi-final stage, he lost to Daniil Medvedev in five sets despite holding a 2-0 lead.
Zverev entered the season with renewed determination after ending 2024 as world number two, winning more matches than anyone except Sinner, and returning to form after a severe ankle injury.
Zverev criticised sections of the crowd for booing Djokovic off the court.
“Novak Djokovic is somebody who has given the sport absolutely everything for the past 20 years,” he said in an on-court interview.
“So please be respectful and really, really show some love for Novak as well.”
Djokovic approached the clash with questions over his fitness after requiring medical attention during his four-set quarter-final win against Carlos Alcaraz.
However, the Serb, known for his remarkable powers of recovery, did not initially seem hindered.
He moved with his customary agility during an opening service game that featured a 27-shot rally and again saved four break points.
Zverev then saved three break points to keep the match on serve at 2-2, with both players alternating between moments of brilliance and inconsistency.
At 4-4, another break point went begging for Zverev as Djokovic managed only 50 per cent of his first serves.
The set went to a tight tiebreak, where Djokovic netted a simple volley to hand Zverev the set. The Serb then approached his opponent to shake hands.
AFP