The Serbian tennis legend, a ten-time Australian Open champion, was forced to retire from his semi-final match against world No. 2 Alexander Zverev due to injury. After a grueling 84-minute first set, which saw Djokovic lose in a tiebreak, concerns about his physical condition were raised. These worries had already begun to surface earlier in the tournament, after his quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz, when Djokovic notably skipped practice sessions leading up to his semi-final match.
The whispers surrounding Djokovic’s injury intensified after his encounter with Alcaraz, reigniting past controversies regarding accusations that the Serbian had faked physical struggles during matches. To quell the doubts, Djokovic took to social media the day after his tournament exit, posting an image of a scan showing a visible tear in his hamstring.
Adding to the drama, some sections of the crowd booed Djokovic off the court following his retirement in the semi-finals. However, the backlash was met with support from numerous tennis stars, past and present, who rallied behind the 24-time Grand Slam winner. Among the notable defenders was Clijsters, herself a former world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion.
Appearing on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, the Belgian reflected on Djokovic’s long history of battling injuries, including his painful withdrawal from the 2024 French Open due to a meniscus tear. Despite the setback, Djokovic underwent knee surgery and, within weeks, had already made it to the Wimbledon final, showing remarkable resilience.
Clijsters remarked, “The thing with Novak is we have been so used to seeing him get through it all with the recovery things that he does, with his mental strength. It’s almost like we think it’s normal he will heal from this during the tournament and then people question whether he’s telling the truth when it is happening.”
She continued, “That is where I am like, it’s already annoying enough when you have a problem, you don’t want people to question whether you are being honest. It’s annoying. I do feel like with him, people are questioning a lot of it. I remember people saying: ‘I don’t even know if he had his knee surgery.’”
In the wake of his Australian Open retirement, Djokovic also had to pull out of Serbia’s Davis Cup match against Denmark in Copenhagen, adding to the uncertainty surrounding his immediate future. He has, however, signed up for the Qatar Open in February, where he is set to compete alongside the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. But given his ongoing injury concerns, it seems likely that he may withdraw in the coming weeks.
Additionally, Djokovic has yet to confirm whether his collaboration with Andy Murray, whom he brought on as a coach for the Australian Open, will continue for the rest of the season. As Djokovic works through these physical challenges, the tennis world remains on edge, eager to see how his recovery and future plans unfold.