Novak Djokovic would certainly have deserved better treatment from the Australian crowd during the 2025 Australian Open. As he has always done throughout his career, the Serbian legend tried to go beyond his own limits by playing the semifinal against Sascha Zverev despite a tear in his left thigh.
The former world number 1 had suffered this injury during the very tough battle against Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, in which he prevailed thanks to his enormous experience and the naivety of his young opponent (who had been distracted after winning the first set).
The 24-time Grand Slam champion had not practiced in the two days following the match against Carlitos at Melbourne Park, but had still been competitive in the first set against Zverev (lost only in the tiebreak).
At the end of the first set, the Serbian legend realized that the pain was increasing and retreated shocking the whole world. The crowd present on the Rod Laver Arena did not like the decision of the 37-year-old from Belgrade and booed him, while Nole left the court very disappointed with the behavior of the fans in a tournament in which he made history.
Djokovic didn’t deserve that treatment
According to some former players such as Alex Corretja, the former world No.1 should have taken the microphone and explained to people the exact reason for his retirement. In any case, all insiders criticized the reaction of the Australian crowd towards one of the best athletes ever.
Interviewed by ‘Tennis365’, well-known presenter Gigi Salmon commented on the way Novak was treated in Australia: “It’s disrespectful, it’s awful. He’s one of the greatest of all-time and in some people’s opinion the greatest, and they are booing him.
He has given everything and more to this sport and yet there is still this feeling of negativity towards him.
It was a surprise the way it ended. A volley into the net and suddenly the match was over, but when you look back at the story behind the injury and how he didn’t train in the days before, you can understand it better.”
Tennis World USA