Novak Djokovic publishes evidence to silence 'injury experts' after Australian Open withdrawal
Watch now: Aidan McGee discusses the latest sport headlines
Novak Djokovic has responded defiantly to critics after withdrawing from his Australian Open semi-final match against Alexander Zverev.
The 37-year-old tennis star posted a scan of his hamstring injury on social media platform X, accompanied by the message: "Thought I'd leave this here for all the sports injury 'experts' out there."
The 10-time Australian Open champion was forced to retire after losing the first set of his semi-final match.
His withdrawal prompted boos from sections of the Melbourne crowd as he left the court.
The scan, shared just hours ago, demonstrates the extent of the damage to his hamstring that led to his early exit from the tournament.
Novak Djokovic published a scan of his injury on social media
REUTERS
Alexander Zverev came to Djokovic's defence following the hostile crowd reaction.
"Please, guys — don't boo a player when he goes out with injury," Zverev urged the Melbourne spectators.
The German player emphasised Djokovic's dedication to the sport over two decades.
"I know everyone paid for tickets and everybody wants to see a great five-set match. But you have to understand for the past 20 years, Novak Djokovic has given tennis absolutely everything," he said.
Zverev highlighted Djokovic's previous resilience at the tournament.
"He has won this tournament with an abdominal tear, a hamstring tear. If he cannot continue with this match, it means he really can't continue," Zverev added.
Djokovic has cast doubt over his future participation at the Australian Open.
"I don't know. There is a chance [I won't be back]," the Serbian player admitted.
Thought I’d leave this here for all the sports injury “experts” out there. pic.twitter.com/ZO5mBtw9zB
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 25, 2025
He expressed uncertainty about his schedule for the coming year.
"I want to keep going but whether I'm going to have a revised schedule or not for the next year, I'm not sure," Djokovic said.
Despite the setback, he acknowledged his special connection with the tournament.
"I normally like to come to Australia to play. I've had the biggest success in my career here," he reflected.
The champion remained cautiously optimistic about future appearances.
"So if I'm fit, healthy, motivated, I don't see a reason why I wouldn't come," he added.
Djokovic indicated his intention to continue working with coach Andy Murray despite the disappointing Australian Open exit.
The Serbian star acknowledged the need for both himself and Murray to process the withdrawal before discussing future plans.
"We both were disappointed with what just happened, so we didn't talk about the future steps. We are so fresh off the court," Djokovic explained.
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Novak Djokovic was forced to retire with an injury
REUTERS
He expressed his desire to maintain the coaching relationship with Murray.
"I'll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me, give him my feedback which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels and we make the next step," he said.
Djokovic emphasised the importance of allowing emotions to settle first.
"We are still hotheaded and disappointed, so it's kind of hard to switch the page and start talking about what the next steps are. I think we both need to cool off a little bit and then we'll have a chat."
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