AO 2026 | 'Toward adductor...': Heartbroken Musetti reveals why he retired vs Djokovic in QF
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "AO 2026 | 'Toward adductor...': Heartbroken Musetti reveals why he retired vs Djokovic in QF")
Heartbroken Musetti reveals why he retired vs Djokovic in QF Photograph: (X/Aus Open)
He also took a medical timeout for what appears to be a tear in his right leg but the pain become so unbearable that he had to retire in the end. The Italian was very disappointed for missing out a QF win vs Djokovic - a legend of the sport with 24 grand slam titles including 10 Aus Open.
Lorenzo Musetti suffered a heartbreak during the Australian Open 2026 quarterfinal on Wednesday (Jan 28) vs Novak Djokovic. The sixth seed Italian was two sets up when he was forced to retire, giving Djokovic a walkover to the semis. Musetti was devastated after the injury which he says he 'suffered at the start of second set.' He also took a medical timeout for what appears to be a tear in his right leg but the pain become so unbearable that he had to retire in the end. His opponent Djokovic was also not happy with how the things unfolded and called the win 'unfortunate.'
Why did Musetti retire vs Djokovic in Aus Open 2026 QF?
Talking at the post-match press conference, Musetti revealed that he could not get back to centre of the court with an injury in right leg and found no sense in continuing.
"I could have continued, but the pain increased after the medical timeout. I could no longer run back to the center of the court after hitting my forehand, and there was no sense of continuing," Musetti said.
Further explaining the injury, the Italian added: "I started to feel discomfort at the start of the second set. I felt something strange in my right leg. I played really well, and I kept going. However, the pain was increasing, and the problem was not going away. I took a medical timeout and rested for a couple of minutes. When I started playing again, the pain became even more intense. At that point, there was not much to say or do. I have no words to describe how I feel now - this really hurts me."
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Upon being asked if something else could have been done to avoid the retirement, Musetti replied: "Strapping was impossible because the affected area was too high. I know my body, and I'm pretty sure it's a tear. It seems to be toward the adductor or nearby. I will do further tests when I get home."
The Italian was very disappointed for missing out a QF win against Djokovic - a legend of the sport with 24 grand slam titles including 10 Aus Open.
"I never imagine this would happen to me from two sets to love against Novak and after the way I played. It's extremely painful. My serve worked well and I pushed from the baseline after feeling the ball nicely," he said.
Djokovic to face Sinner in AO 2026 semis
Djokovic will now face Jannik Sinner in the semis of Australian Open 2026. Sinner beat USA's Ben Shelton 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 for his 19th consecutive win in the Australian Open history. Sinner is now equal to Roger Federer for most consecutive AO wins and is behind only Novak Djokovic (33), Andre Agassi (26), Ivan Lendl (20).
Sinner, a two-time defending champion, will be a favourite to win the AO 2026 semis vs Djokovic but the Serbian, who got a walkover win in R4 as well as in QF, will be fresh and can't be discounted - given that he has won the tournament 10 times - the most by any player.
