Can you believe it? Novak Djokovic had to pull out of the Australian Open semis against Alexander Zverev. He was clearly still hurting from that nasty “muscle tear” that he sustained in the quarters against Carlos Alcaraz. He even hinted that this might have been his last Aussie Open, which is heartbreaking. But honestly, the real story was the crowd. They started booing him as he walked out of the Rod Laver Arena! Some serious tennis legends are now calling them out for that!

Zverev had claimed the first set of the match in a tiebreaker after 82 minutes of intense play. That was when the injury that plagued Djokovic in the previous quarterfinal resurfaced and forced him to withdraw after an hour and 21 minutes on the court. Addressing the crowd after the match, Djokovic called the decision to retire “an unfortunate ending” and said “I tried.” After he left the court, some sections of the crowd booed the 37-year-old, which drew criticism from various quarters.

Rennae Stubbs, Serena Williams’ former coach, took to Twitter to express her dismay at the crowd’s behavior. In her tweet, she wrote, “I don’t care what u think of @DjokerNole love him or hate him. If U booed him off the court today, you’re a disgrace. That man has literally left his heart & soul on that court. He’s our greatest champion Melbourne and he’s injured! Think about what you just did. Disgraceful!!”

Along with Rennae, the rival semifinalist Alexander Zverev also spoke out against the booing during his on-court interview with Jim Courier. The German tennis star urged the crowd to reconsider their response to Djokovic saying, “The very first thing I want to say is please, guys, don’t boo a player when he goes out with injury.”

Adding the voice to the debate, tennis legend John McEnroe criticized the audience, defending Djokovic’s legacy and commitment. Speaking to the ESPN, McEnroe said, “He has won this 10 times. I mean, come on. The guy – clearly something was up. The guy is a battler. Him and Rafa have dug deeper than any two players I have ever seen. You name it.”

Djokovic’s last Grand Slam victory came at the 2023 US Open, and he remains focused on extending his legacy. However, with increasing age and injuries, questions about his long-term future in tennis linger.

“I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come”: Novak Djoković reflects on returning back to Australian Open

Novak Djokovic, who was chasing a record-breaking 11th Australian Open final appearance and a 38th Grand Slam final, expressed his disappointment about not being able to continue. The Serbian was also aiming to become only the second player after Roger Federer to record 100 wins at the Australian Open. Despite the setback, he remained hopeful about his future in the sport.

In the post-match press conference, Djokovic said, “I don’t know. There is a chance. Who knows? I will have to see how the season goes. 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.” When asked about prospects for next season, Djokovic added, “So I’m fit, healthy, motivated. I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come. But there’s always a chance, yeah.”

The 2024 Paris Olympics champion, Djokovic, was also aiming for the 25th Grand Slam title to surpass Margaret Court and become the most successful singles player in history. Although Djokovic’s injury cut short his tournament, his legacy as a 10-time Australian Open Champion remains unmatchable.