Australian Open: Injured Djokovic booed off but targets more Grand Slams

Novak Djokovic, who had suffered a muscle injury at the Australian Open and was booed off the court by some Melbourne fans, pledged to keep on winning the record for the 25th Grand Slam title.

After falling to Alexander Zverev in the first set 7-6(5), Djokovic returned injured on Friday. The 10-time champion painedly exited Rod Laver Arena in the wake of the hostile response from some fans.

After missing the French Open with a knee problem before his quarterfinal against Casper Ruud, he suffered his second injury setback at the Grand Slams in a year. The Serbian great may be getting older, but he remained unwavering that there is still much more he can do in the twilight of an extraordinary career.

Statistics have been negative for me over the past few years, he said to reporters, so it’s not like I’m worried about getting injured at every Grand Slam right now. “I am certainly getting injured a lot over the past few years,” she said. What precisely is the cause of that, I don’t know. Maybe several different factors.

” But I’ll keep going. I’ll keep striving to win more Slams. And as long as I feel that I want to put up with all of this, I’ll be around. “

After a draining but brilliant quarterfinal victory over Carlos Alcaraz, in which he took a lengthy medical leave of absence after the first set, Djokovic entered the match clouded.

When he faced Zverev, he had his left thigh taped, but it didn’t show until much later in the set.

Djokovic’s retirement shocked the crowd and surprised Zverev, who had previously battled hamstring injuries during his 2021 championship run two years ago and an abdominal muscle tear while competing in Melbourne Park.

The Serb questioned whether the set’s merits would have been worth the additional effort, claiming that he might have if the match had been won.

Though” upset and disappointed”, Djokovic was ultimately philosophical, saying he would cheer for Zverev as the German bids for his first Grand Slam title after defeats in two finals.

” I actually thought I played really well, as well as I played the last 12 months, to be honest, “Djokovic said.

I liked my chances, and there are many advantages to my play in the semifinals. It’s a very good result considering the circumstances. But it’s not satisfying to me – for my standards.

“I always strive for the ultimate goal: to win in the championship match.”

Djokovic and Andy Murray, who helped the Serb get ready for the first Grand Slam of the year, were unsure if they would continue working together.

“I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy: thank him for being here with me, give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels”, said Djokovic. “We are still hot-headed and disappointed, so it’s kind of hard to switch the page and start talking about what the next steps are”.

Djokovic, who backed Danielle Collins’ response by giving a hostile Melbourne crowd a kiss, had already been a turbulent tournament. After defeating local Destanee Aiava in the second round, the American thanked the crowd for paying for her next five-star vacation.

Djokovic refused an on-court interview with Australian broadcaster, Channel Nine, for an “offensive, racist” jibe.