Novak Djokovic retires injured to put Zverev in Australian Open final

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic pulled out of his match against Alex Zverev after losing the first set 7-6(5) on Friday which allowed the German to advance to his first Australian Open final. 

The Serb heavily taped his upper left leg again due to an injury he sustained during the quarter-finals. 

Zverev advances to face the victor between Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton in Sunday’s final match while pursuing his debut Grand Slam title. 

Djokovic still needs a record 25th major title after his semi-final defeat to Sinner at Melbourne Park last year. 

Before the match began people questioned his physical condition yet he stepped onto Rod Laver Arena with his left thigh secured by a strap. 

Djokovic showed no signs of struggle until he began moving sluggishly between points and expressing his frustration aloud at his box as the set progressed. 

He told Zverev he had to stop playing after losing the set before shaking hands with the chair umpire and leaving to face boos from the audience. 

Zverev said his first message to fans during his on-court interview was please do not boo players when they leave the match because of an injury. 

All ticket holders purchased their passes hoping to experience a five-set match. 

He claimed tournament victory first with an abdominal tear and then with a hamstring injury. 

The drama unfolds as Zverev moves into the Australian Open final following Djokovic’s surprise injury retirement. Subscribe to Sports Monks for access to the latest news updates.

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