Novak Djokovic drops a big update on his rumoured retirement after his emotional loss in the Australian Open semi-final.
As per BBC, Djokovic’s goal of winning his 11th championship and 25th Grand Slam title came to an unexpected end on Friday, January 24 when he had to abruptly retire from the match.
He was performing well against Alexander Zverev but his left leg injury became worse, which he sustained during his quarterfinal win against Carlos Alcaraz.
Despite the injury, he tried to continue playing, but eventually admitted that he had no energy left to continue because of the worse pain.
Speaking after the match, Djokovic said, “I did everything I possibly can to manage the muscle tear that I had. Medications, the strap and the physio work helped to some extent today. But towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain.”
However, Djokovic has made it clear that he does not plan to retire soon.
When asked if he might have played his last match at the Australian Open, the player said, “I don’t know, there is a chance. Who knows? I’ll just have to see how the season goes.”
He added, “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, motivated, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come. But there’s always a chance, yeah.”
The crowd initially reacted with surprise but that feeling quickly turned to anger and the crowd expressed their disapproval by booing loudly.
Zverec, meanwhile asked the crowd not to boo him, urging them to show respect for the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
When asked about the reaction, Djokovic said, "I don't know what to say.People have come and paid for the tickets expecting a great match and a big fight, which they didn't get.”
The 37-year-old added, “From that perspective, I can understand. I am doing my best to understand them, but I am not sure whether they understand me or if they even want to."
On the other hand, Zverev will now face the world number one, Jannik Sinner in the final on Sunday.
