New Delhi: After defying age, injury and ranking to pass his biggest test in the Australian Open quarterfinal against Carlos Alcaraz, the odds of Novak Djokovic winning a record-extending 25th Grand Slam, which was highly staked against him, increased dramatically.
Djokovic, the ageless wonder of the tennis circuit, pulled off a miracle to defeat the 21-year-old four-time Grand Slam winner, at a time when few had predicted it.
The miraculous win kept Djokovic’s record-extending 25th Slam bid alive as the Serbian legend sealed a stunning 11th semifinal berth at Melbourne Park.
Djokovic’s unbeaten record in the AO semifinal (10) made him a hot favourite against second-seed German Alexander Zverev. But just when fans were expecting another miracle, Djokovic lost his battle with the leg injury and bowed out of the semifinal for the first in 11 appearances.
For several years, Djokovic has defied the ageing process, injuries and health scares with his endurance and fighting spirit but the pullout midway through his semifinal meeting with Zverev showed that despite boasting Superhuman-like abilities, Djokovic is human after all.
Djokovic’s Australian Open campaign came to a heartbreaking end on Friday after he was forced to retire due to a muscle tear on his upper left leg. The 10-time Australian Open champion had lost the first set to Zverev with a 6-7 (5-7) margin but withdrew soon after.
Djokovic suffered the injury during his sensational quarterfinal win over Alcaraz on Tuesday and was reportedly unable to train ahead of the semifinal. Despite being the most successful player in Australian Open history Djokovic has a love-hate relationship with the Melbourne Park crowd, which ruthlessly booed the former world number one following his heartbreaking exit.
Is the end nigh for Djokovic?
During the post-match press conference, Djokovic hinted at a possible retirement from tennis but at the same time kept the window open for a return to the Australian Open next year.
“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. So I’m fit, healthy, motivated. I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come. But there’s always a chance (of retirement), yeah,” said the former world no 1.
Djokovic also added that he did everything possible but the pain was unbearable.
Is some juice still left in Djokovic?
The signs of Djokovic running out of gas have been quite evident since last year. The 37-year-old and then world no 1 withdrew from the French Open with a knee injury sustained in his round of 16 win against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo. He made a comeback from injury a month later at Wimbledon but lost the final to Carlos Alcaraz.
To maximise his recovery, Djokovic chose specific tournaments to play and also pulled out of the season-ending
ATP Finals event in Turin through injury.
In the Australian Open 2025, his favourite hunting court, he spent six hours on the court to beat Nishesh Basavareddy and Jaime Faria in his first two fixtures. He may have defeated Tomas Machac and Lehecka in straight sets, but the 37-year-old had to grind those wins out and even had to take a medical time-out against the former.
Ahead of his semifinal clash against Alcaraz, statistics did the rounds on social media and prominent websites which stated that there was an age gap of 15 years and 349 days between Alcaraz and Djokovic – the largest gap in age between two players in a men’s single quarterfinal at any Grand Slam in 36 years.
He also took a medical timeout against Alcaraz after losing the first set which was another sign that the age is finally catching up with the tennis’ indestructible man, who perhaps, for the first time in his career, looked to be labouring right from the start of the tournament.
Not even the biggest Djokovic fan gave him a chance to recover from the injury and the first loss against a supremely fit and talented player like Alcaraz. But the Serbian icon made a comeback of the ages to win the contest against all odds and showed that he still has plenty left in the tank.
However, Djokovic, the fighter, the winner, couldn’t fight the pain and surrendered to the injury in the semifinal against Zverev, indicating that there’s not much juice left in him.
Looking at the events that transpired in the quarterfinal and the semifinal, Djokovic’s future remains a mystery.
Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open 2024 journey was a rollercoaster. Despite defying age and injury to defeat Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, a leg injury forced his withdrawal from the semifinals against Zverev. His future remains uncertain, with hints of potential retirement but also a possibility of returning to Melbourne Park next year. The tournament highlighted both his incredible resilience and the limitations of even the most exceptional athletes. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
