In a dramatic turn of events at the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic was forced to retire from his semi-final match against Alexander Zverev due to a torn muscle in his upper left leg. The 37-year-old tennis legend, visibly struggling, conceded the match after a simple volley went into the net on set point. Surprisingly, some sections of the crowd booed Djokovic as he left the court, despite his evident injury during the 82-minute opener.
Jannik Sinner has secured his place in the Australian Open final for the second consecutive year after a commanding 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-2 victory over American Ben Shelton. The win marks Sinner’s third Grand Slam final appearance and extends his impressive streak of success at Melbourne Park.
The injury was sustained during Djokovic’s intense quarter-final match against Carlos Alcaraz, where he had battled through pain to secure a comeback victory. Unable to train for the subsequent days, Djokovic admitted post-match that he felt there was a “chance” he might have played his last Australian Open. However, he remains determined, stating, “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.”
With Djokovic’s withdrawal, Zverev advanced to his first Australian Open final. He will now face the defending champion and World No. 1, Jannik Sinner, who dominated his semi-final against Ben Shelton, winning in straight sets. This sets up an exciting final showdown between the top two seeds.
Jannik Sinner’s Record Against Alexander Zverev: Despite Sinner’s top ranking, Zverev leads their head-to-head, having won four out of six meetings. Sinner’s last win was in the Cincinnati semi-finals last year, but Zverev has dominated recent encounters, including their last match at the US Open in 2023.
Sinner vs. Zverev Final Details: The final will see Sinner aiming for back-to-back Australian Open titles against Zverev, who is seeking his first grand slam victory.
Sinner has expressed his anticipation for the match, acknowledging the challenge Zverev presents, “Very tough match. We had some very tough matches in the past… There is going to be a lot of tension but I’m happy to put myself in this position, Sundays are special days at tournaments.”
