Novak Djokovic injury saga from Australia Open 2025 semi-final against Alexander Zverev isn't dying down. Djokovic had retired from the semi-final against Zverev due to injury which he had picked during the quarter-final win against Carlos Alcaraz.
What Djokovic said about quitting the semi-final match
The 27-year-old Serbian, chasing his 25th grand slam, had retired after the first set in the semi-final and said: “I didn't hit a ball since [the] Alcaraz match, so until like an hour before today's match. I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had."
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“Medications and, I guess, the strap, and the physio work helped to some extent today. But yeah, towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain. It was too much, I guess, to handle for me at the moment. Unfortunate ending, but I tried,” he added.
The explanation, however, didn't go well with many of the former players who questioned the circumstances under which Djokovic quit.
What the former players said about Djokovic's injury
Former Italian Paolo Bertolucci, while talking to Corrieredellosport, said: "Djokovic had a strain, he said. I didn't have time to open my eyes and the match was already over. Now: with a contracture you struggle to walk, but with a strain you can't even take a step... I don't really believe it."
Another Italian, Adriano Panatta, replied: "But what strain, come on , he must have had a small contracture. We know him, we know what Nole does in these situations, come on. He tried, he saw that there was no chance against Zverev and after losing the first set he threw in the towel. It won't change anything for him in his career anyway."
Djokovic, fed up with the questions, eventually posted his medical report on social media and said: "Thought I'd leave this here for all the sports injury 'experts' out there."