Novak Djokovic’s quest for his historic 25th Grand Slam title came to an abrupt end during the semi-finals of the Australian Open against Alexander Zverev. Djokovic withdrew after a grueling first set, which went to a tiebreak that Zverev won 7-6 (7/5). The Serbian great, known for his resilience and fighting spirit, appeared on court with heavy strapping on his upper left leg—a remnant of the injury he sustained in his quarter-final match against Carlos Alcaraz. As Djokovic exited to a mixture of boos and applause, Zverev immediately addressed the Melbourne crowd, pleading with them to show respect for the injured champion.
“Please, don’t boo a player when he goes out with an injury,” Zverev said during his on-court interview. He highlighted Djokovic’s numerous heroic performances in past tournaments, emphasizing the tremendous dedication and effort Djokovic has put into the sport over the last two decades. “He has won this tournament with an abdominal tear, won this tournament with a hamstring injury. So please show some respect,” Zverev added.
Zverev, who hasn’t won a major yet, now moves to his first-ever Australian Open final. Awaiting him will be either the world number one Jannik Sinner or the American 21st seed Ben Shelton. Regardless of the outcome, the German already earned admiration from fans and critics alike for his class and sportsmanship. He came into this season with renewed vigor after ending the previous year as world number two, and this victory seems to be a testament to that renewed spirit.
Though Djokovic’s hopes of clinching a 25th Grand Slam title were dashed, his legacy as one of the all-time greats remains untarnished. His career has been a testament to resilience and perseverance, leaving fans with memories of his phenomenal matches. In the same vein, Zverev’s respect and admiration for Djokovic mark a new chapter in the sport, where upcoming stars mirror the grace of their legends.
Zverev at the Australian Open, ranking, and results in 2025
Now ranked no.2 (career-high), the German has achieved an overall 8-0 match record in 2025. Alexander is now having a run at the Australian Open where he beat the world no.103 Lucas Pouille 6-4 6-4 6-4, the world no.44 Pedro Martinez Portero 6-1 6-4 6-1
, the world no.92 Jacob Fearnley 6-3 6-4 6-4, the world no.14 Ugo Humbert 6-1 2-6 6-3 6-2, the world no.11 Tommy Paul 7-6(1) 7-6(0) 2-6 6-1 and the world no.7 Novak Djokovic 7-6(5) ret..Alexander won 24 titles in his career: 8 on hard courts, 8 on clay courts and 8 on indoor courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play in Buenos Aires (Argentina Open) on the 10th of February and Rio De Janeiro (Rio Open) on the 17th of February.
Novak Djokovic in 2025
Ranked no.7, the Serbian played his last match on the 24th of January when he had to retire when playing against world no.2 Alexander Zverev in the semifinal and the scoreline was 7-6(5) .
At the moment, during this season Novak owns a 7-2 win-loss record. Novak Djokovic’s latest run at the Australian Open was the best achievement of his season.
He is also scheduled to play in Doha (Qatar ExxonMobil Open) on the 17th of February and () on the 29th of December.
Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic squared off 13 times. Their head to head is 8-5 for Djokovic.