The fallout from Novak Djokovic’s emotional Australian Open exit continues to stir up strong reactions, with former world No. 1 Andy Roddick joining the chorus of critics who have slammed the fans’ treatment of the Serbian tennis legend. Djokovic was forced to retire from his semi-final match against Alexander Zverev due to a muscle injury, leaving the packed Rod Laver Arena crowd hoping for an epic five-set battle — but instead, they responded with boos as he limped off the court.
This unexpected and hostile reaction raised eyebrows, especially considering Djokovic’s legendary status at Melbourne Park, where he has clinched 10 Australian Open titles. The sight of him leaving the stadium visibly limping only added to the dissonance between his supporters and the section of the crowd that showed little sympathy.
In the lead-up to his exit, Djokovic had refrained from practicing on-site in the days before the match, nursing the muscle injury sustained during his quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz. In his post-match press conference, he opened up about his condition: “I did everything I possibly can to manage the muscle tear that I had. Medications, the strap and the physio work helped to some extent today. But towards the end of that first set, I just started feeling more and more pain. It was too much to handle for me at the moment. Unfortunate ending, but I tried.”
He added that even if he had managed to win the first set, the physical toll would have made it nearly impossible to keep up with Zverev. “Even if I won the first set, it’s going to be a huge uphill battle for me to stay physically fit enough to stay with him in the rallies for another God knows what, two, three, four hours. I don’t think I had that, unfortunately, today in the tank,” he admitted.
Zverev, Djokovic’s opponent, also voiced his frustration with the crowd’s response. He defended his fellow player, pointing out that such a reaction was uncalled for when an athlete is struggling with injury. “Please guys, don’t boo a player when he goes out with an injury,” Zverev urged. “I know that everybody paid for tickets and everybody wants to see a great five-set match. But you have to understand for the past 20 years Novak Djokovic has given tennis absolutely everything. He has won this tournament with an abdominal tear, a hamstring tear. If he cannot continue with this match, it means he really can’t continue.”
The criticism didn’t stop there. Tennis great John McEnroe also blasted the crowd’s behavior, while former world No. 1 Justine Henin voiced her disapproval of the jeering. Andy Roddick, never one to shy away from sharing his opinion, became the latest figure to speak out against the Melbourne fans.
On his “Served” podcast, Roddick didn’t hold back. “I thought it was so s****y to boo someone who’s won ten times there,” he said, clearly upset by the crowd’s behavior. “Someone who you don’t know if they are going to come back. It would suck if Novak’s last memory in a place where we have seen excellence from him to the point where we probably take it too much for granted to be getting booed off the court. That sucks man.”
Roddick reflected on how unfair it would be for Djokovic’s final moments in Melbourne to be clouded by such negativity. “You hope that he has that beautiful sunset in a place where he has provided so much excellence. I’m not saying you have to agree with everything he’s done, but he’s really friendly to everyone in the locker room. He is really courteous to all his fellow players and they really respect him.”
He stressed the importance of respecting greatness, even if one disagrees with certain aspects of a player’s personality or actions. “Do you think Novak wanted to walk off the court there? Of course not. He wanted to win again and say ‘f you’ to everyone who doubted him. You don’t think he wanted to turn this upside down. He’s done it before here and won the tournament.”
Roddick concluded by highlighting the absurdity of the situation, pointing out that Djokovic, with his record of 10 Australian Open titles, didn’t deserve such a send-off. “Simply, when someone has won ten times there and won more Slams than any male in history, I don’t need to see the parade of a trainer running out with a backpack that you could’ve given Novak to make him better in 45 seconds,” he said. He also gave Zverev props for showing his support. “Props to Zverev for saying basically the same thing. That was a cool moment for him.”
Looking ahead, Djokovic might channel the pain of this untimely exit into motivation for his return in 2026. However, there’s a real possibility that his premature departure from Rod Laver Arena could mark a poignant, if not final, farewell to the tournament that has been both a stage for his greatest triumphs and a source of his most difficult moments.