Djokovic's Australian Open bid ends in heartbreak

Novak Djokovic retired from his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev on Friday, marking a dramatic end to his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam crown.

The 37-year-old Serbian exited the Rod Laver Arena to boos from the crowd after losing a grueling first set, leaving defending champion Jannik Sinner to face the German in the final.

Sinner, ranked first, had earlier overcome Ben Shelton in straight sets, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-2, to secure his place in Sunday’s final.

Despite suffering cramps late in the match, the Italian displayed composure to dominate his American opponent. “I had some tension today, slightly cramps,” Sinner admitted. “But he was also suffering today a little bit in his legs.”

Djokovic, playing with a heavily taped leg, shook hands with Zverev after losing the tiebreaker in the opening set, 7-6 (7/5).

He later revealed he had been hampered by a muscle tear sustained during his quarter-final win against Carlos Alcaraz.

Speaking about his fitness, Djokovic remarked, “I actually thought I played really well, as well as I played the last 12 months. I liked my chances if I was physically fit and ready to battle.”

The Serbian, a 10-time Australian Open champion, hinted that this might have been his final appearance in Melbourne.

“There is a chance. Who knows?” Djokovic said when asked about his future at the tournament. “I normally like to come to Australia to play. I’ve had the biggest success in my career here.”

Zverev, seeded second, defended Djokovic amidst criticism from the crowd over his retirement. “I think we should stop blaming Novak,” Zverev said. “Novak has done absolutely everything he could on the tennis court in the last 20 years.”

Sinner, now on the brink of a second consecutive Australian Open title, acknowledged the challenge ahead.

“I’m very happy to be back in the finals and then we see what is coming Sunday,” he said.

The final promises to be a showdown between the top two seeds, with Zverev seeking his first Grand Slam victory after finishing as a runner-up at the French Open and the US Open in previous years.