Novak Djokovic Withdraws from Australian Open 2025 During Semi-Final Against Alexander Zverev
Novak Djokovic's Australian Open 2025 campaign came to an abrupt end on Friday as he retired mid-match during the men’s singles semi-final against Alexander Zverev. Zverev claimed the first set 7-6 before Djokovic approached the net to shake hands and announce his decision to retire due to injury.
Djokovic had been nursing an injury sustained during his quarter-final match against Carlos Alcaraz. The physical toll was evident as Zverev forced him into grueling rallies throughout the opening set.
With Djokovic’s withdrawal, Zverev advances to the final, where he will face the winner of the clash between Ben Shelton and Jannik Sinner on Sunday.
Alexander Zverev Reaches First Australian Open Final as Novak Djokovic Retires Mid-Match
Alexander Zverev secured his place in his first Australian Open final after Novak Djokovic retired following the opening set of their semi-final on Friday in Melbourne. Djokovic conceded the match immediately after losing a tightly contested first set 7-6(5), sending Zverev, the No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, into his third Grand Slam final. The German is now one step closer to claiming his maiden major title and awaits the winner of the Jannik Sinner vs. Alex de Minaur semi-final.
Despite pushing Zverev through an intense, one-hour-and-21-minute opening set, Djokovic was unable to continue after missing a volley on set point. His upper-leg injury, which he heroically overcame in a quarter-final victory against Carlos Alcaraz, appeared to hinder him as the match progressed.
"I actually thought it was quite a high-level first set," Zverev said in a post-match interview with Jim Courier. "But of course, there are some difficulties, and the longer you continue playing, the worse it can get. In the tie-break, he was maybe not moving as well as earlier in the set. We had extremely long and physical rallies, and I noticed him struggling a bit more towards the end."
Djokovic displayed resilience in the opening set, saving five break points, as per Infosys ATP Stats, while generating three break opportunities of his own at 1-2, 0/40. The tie-break remained on serve until the final point, where the Serbian missed a routine volley with the court wide open.
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