Novak Djokovic was booed off the court by some Australian Open fans after retiring injured from his semi-final match against Alexander Zverev.
Djokovic, aiming for his 11th Australian Open title, withdrew after losing the first set 7-6 (7-5) in a grueling 80-minute battle.
The 37-year-old Serbian star had heavily taped his upper left leg following an injury sustained during his quarter-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz.
“I did everything I possibly could to manage the muscle tear,” said Djokovic, who was also chasing his 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic revealed that the pain worsened toward the end of the first set, making it unbearable to continue.
After missing a volley on set point, Djokovic approached Zverev to shake hands and acknowledged the crowd with a double thumbs up, despite receiving boos from some sections.
Djokovic admitted that even winning the first set wouldn’t have been enough, as he doubted his ability to physically endure a long match.
Alexander Zverev, the German second seed, is still seeking his first Grand Slam title after losing in two previous major finals.
Zverev will face either Italian top seed Jannik Sinner or American 21st seed Ben Shelton in the final on Sunday.
