The crowd in Melbourne, Australia, was not kind to Novak Djokovic on Friday morning.
In an attempt to extend his record of 25th Grand Slam, Djokovic played just one match and withdrew from the Australian Open semifinals after tearing a muscle in his left leg.
The withdrawal moved Alexander Zverev into Sunday's final against Yannik Sinner, much to the disappointment of the crowd.
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Serbia's Novak Djokovic packs his bags after withdrawing from his men's singles semifinal match against Germany's Alexander Zverev on day 13 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 24, 2025. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)
After he lost the match to Zverev, who won the match, fans booed him as he walked to the locker room.
Djokovic paused, turned around and gave two thumbs up in response.
Zverev expressed his disappointment to the crowd.
"When a player is out injured, don't boo him. I know everyone bought a ticket and everyone wants to see a good five-set match, but you have to understand that Novak Djokovic is the last 20 Someone who has contributed to the sport for years. Years are absolutely everything in his life," Zverev said in an on-court interview.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic retires after meeting Germany's Alexander Zverev in the men's singles semifinals of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. (Photo by Mike Frey-Iman)
"He won this match with an abdominal tear. He won this match with a hamstring tear. If he can't continue playing tennis, that really means he can't continue playing tennis. So, please be respectful. "
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John McEnroe added on the phone, "There's no way they're booing him. Come on! He's won it ten times, for God's sake. Unreal...
"I mean, obviously something's going on. The guy is a fighter. I mean, he and Rafa (Nadal) dig deeper than any two players I've ever seen. So doing that is Because he decided he couldn't continue after that and honestly I think what he did here was absolutely ridiculous and it was almost as frustrating as seeing the game end."
Djokovic was injured during his quarter-final five-set classic against Carlos Alcaraz but said the pain was "getting worse".
"Towards the end of the first set I started to feel more and more pain and it was too much for me at the moment. So, yes, unfortunate ending, but I tried," Djokovic said.
"I knew even if I won the first set it was going to be a tough battle for me."
He withdrew from the French Open last year after tearing the meniscus in his right knee before the quarterfinals.
Djokovic underwent surgery a few days later and immediately reached the finals of the following Wimbledon before winning a gold medal for Serbia at the Paris Olympics.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic scores a point during his men's singles semifinal match against Germany's Alexander Zverev on day 13 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 24, 2025. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)
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This will be the first time Zverev has reached the Australian Open final and the third final of his career. He also reached the finals of last year's French Open and the 2020 U.S. Open.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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