Novak Djokovic was booed off centre court as he retired from his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev, with the German slammed the crowd’s reaction in his defence
Alexander Zverev came out in defence of Novak Djokovic after the crowd at centre court booed the Serbian legend when he had to retire during their Australian Open semi-final match.
The match saw Djokovic battle a hamstring strain that he picked up during his quarter-final victory against Carlos Alcaraz, wincing through the game with strapping and painkillers.
Despite not having trained for the last two days, the 10-time Australian Open champion stepped onto the Rod Laver Arena to face the German ace, aiming for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.
The marathon first set lasted 81 minutes and went to a tiebreak without any service breaks. However, the match took an unexpected turn – after netting a forehand volley on set point, Djokovic conceded the game, shook hands with Zverev, and announced he couldn’t continue due to injury.
British chair umpire James Keothavong informed the spectators: “Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, due to injury, Mr Djokovic cannot continue to play.” Djokovic left the court swiftly, giving the crowd a thumbs-up, but the arena’s mood shifted as boos echoed throughout.
During his courtside interview, Zverev made a plea, urging respect for Djokovic and acknowledging his longstanding dedication to tennis: “Please, guys, don’t boo a player who leaves the court due to injury. I know that everyone paid to be here and hopes to see a great five-set match. But you have to understand that Novak Djokovic has given his all to this sport for 20 years.
“There is no one I respect more on the tour than Novak. I have always been able to send him a message, call him when things were not going well. He has helped me a lot. Last year in Shanghai, when things were really not going well after the US Open, we talked for hours.”
In his debut Australian Open final, the No. 2 seed is poised to face off against the victor of the second semi-final, which features defending champ Jannik Sinner and American left-hander Ben Shelton.