Alexander Zverev defended Novak Djokovic after the Serbian tennis star withdrew from their Australian Open semi-final due to a muscle tear. Though some spectators booed Djokovic for his early exit, Zverev acknowledged the severity of the injury and praised Djokovic's remarkable career and resilience.
Alexander Zverev defended Novak Djokovic after the 24-time Grand Slam champion withdrew from their Australian Open semi-final due to a muscle tear. Some spectators booed Djokovic as he left the court after losing the opening set 7-6 (7/5) to Zverev, who advanced to the Melbourne decider for the first time. Zverev acknowledged the frustration of those who felt they didn't get their money's worth but emphasized the severity of Djokovic's injury.
'He knew probably to beat me after the first set he would have had to play probably at least three more hours, and that’s very difficult to do if you have a tear or if you have a muscle injury,' Zverev explained. He added, 'So I think we should stop blaming Novak. Novak has done absolutely everything he could on the tennis court in the last 20 years. He’s won this tournament with an abdominal tear where most players can’t even continue playing. He’s won this tournament with a hamstring tear. He’s a 10-time champion (in Melbourne). I think we should all just respect that in a way because there’s nobody in this sport’s history who has won and who has done as much as him.' Djokovic's injury handed Zverev the opportunity to win his first Grand Slam title, having been runner-up at the US Open in 2020 and Roland Garros last year. Zverev entered the season on a high note, finishing 2024 as world number two, winning more matches than anyone except Jannik Sinner, and showing a return to form after a serious ankle injury. 'I’m obviously happy that I’m in a Grand Slam final again. I’m obviously happy that I have another shot at winning a Grand Slam,' Zverev said. 'Was it the way I wanted it to end? No, of course not. It’s how it is sometimes in sports. It’s life. It’s sports. Life goes on.' Zverev will face either world number one Sinner or American 21st seed Ben Shelton in Sunday's final and expressed no concerns about playing just one set in preparation. 'I still think that I played a high-level set. I think we both did. So in that regard, I still played tennis, right?' he said. 'It’s not like it was a withdrawal from the get-go, and I would have had, what, four days off. That would have been maybe a bit too much because then you feel like you’re starting a new tournament.
Novak Djokovic Alexander Zverev Australian Open Tennis Injury Withdrawal Grand Slam
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