Novak Djokovic has admitted that he considered retiring mid-match during his thrilling four-set victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. The Serb, the world No. 7, won in four sets – 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 – on Rod Laver Arena as he hunts an 11th title at Melbourne Park. Djokovic appeared to be struggling with an issue in his left leg at the end of the first set, whereupon he left the court to receive treatment.
Djokovic said afterwards that the medication definitely helped him, but admitted that he was considering a mid-match retirement if the pain had persisted, and if he had gone two sets down. Speaking exclusively to Eurosport’s Barbara Schett afterwards, the 24-time Grand Slam champion spoke of the pride he had for himself after battling through the pain to emerge victorious. He progresses into the last four, where he faces Alexander Zverev, with that match to be shown live on Eurosport and discovery+.
This was not the first time that the 37-year-old has been plagued by injury at the year’s first major tournament, as Djokovic looked back at 2021 and 2023, when he was forced to play through the pain barrier. Both times he won the coveted trophy, and he is two wins away from making it to 11 Australian Open crowns. “You don’t want to be playing with an injury, but you have to adapt to the circumstances and whatever you’re facing on the court,” Djokovic said.
Djokovic’s resilience and determination to push through the pain have once again been on full display, showcasing why he is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. As he prepares for his next challenge against Alexander Zverev, Djokovic’s focus will undoubtedly be on recovery and ensuring he can produce his best tennis on the court.
Novak Djokovic admits he considering retiring against Carlos Alcaraz 😮
…he went on to win 3-1 and book his place in the #AusOpen semi-finals 💪 pic.twitter.com/nEayTsRqZX
— Eurosport (@eurosport) January 21, 2025
Carlos Alcaraz in 2025
LWWWWLWWWW Ranked world no.3, Alcaraz played his last match on the 21st of January when he was overcome by world no.7 Novak Djokovic 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 in the quarter of the Australian Open (draw).
Presently, during this year Carlos has achieved a compiled 4-1 win-loss record.
He is also scheduled to play in Rotterdam (ABN AMRO Open) on the 3rd of February and Doha (Qatar ExxonMobil Open) on the 17th of February.
Djokovic at the Australian Open, ranking, and results in 2025
Currently ranked no.7, Novak has a composed 7-1 record in 2025. Novak is currently competing at the Australian Open where he ousted the world no.107 Nishesh Basavareddy 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2, the world no.125 Jaime Faria 6-1 6-7(4) 6-3 6-2, the world no.25 Tomas Machac 6-1 6-4 6-4, the world no.29 Jiri Lehecka 6-3 6-4 7-6(4) and the world no.3 Carlos Alcaraz 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4.
Novak Djokovic will play the world no.2 Alexander Zverev in the semifinal. Their actual record is 8-4 for Djokovic.
Djokovic won 99 titles in his career: 52 on hard courts, 20 on clay courts, 19 on indoor courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play in Doha (Qatar ExxonMobil Open) on the 17th of February and () on the 29th of December.
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic fought against each other 8 times. Their current record is 5-3 for Djokovic.
