Alexander Zverev criticized the center court crowd after Novak Djokovic was booed off following his retirement in their Australian Open semi-final.
Djokovic, who had been dealing with a hamstring strain sustained during his quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz, played the match with the aid of strapping and painkillers. Despite not training for the two days leading up to the semi-final, the 10-time champion took to Rod Laver Arena in pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.
The tightly contested first set lasted 81 minutes and went to a tiebreak, with no service breaks. However, when Djokovic missed a forehand volley on set point, he surprised both Zverev and the crowd by shaking his opponent’s hand and announcing he could not continue.
Chair umpire James Keothavong informed the audience: “Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, due to injury, Mr. Djokovic cannot continue to play.”
As Djokovic left the court, offering a thumbs-up to the crowd, he was met with boos from sections of the audience at Rod Laver Arena.
In his post-match courtside interview, Zverev expressed his disappointment with the crowd’s reaction, saying: “Please, guys, don’t boo a player who leaves the court due to injury. I know everyone here paid to watch and hoped for a great five-set match. But you have to understand that Novak Djokovic has given everything to this sport for 20 years.
“There is no one on tour I respect more than Novak. He’s always been there for me—whether it’s sending a message or having a conversation when things weren’t going well. He helped me a lot, especially last year in Shanghai when we talked for hours after I was struggling following the US Open.”
Zverev, the No. 2 seed, will now face the winner of the second semi-final between defending champion Jannik Sinner and American left-hander Ben Shelton in his first Australian Open final.
