Novak Djokovic Retires Early; Alexander Zverev Defends Him

Novak Djokovic, the 37-year-old tennis star, faced boos from the crowd at the Australian Open after being forced to retire in the semi-final due to a leg injury. Djokovic had been struggling with a torn muscle in his upper left leg, which he sustained during his quarter-final comeback against Carlos Alcaraz. He immediately shook hands with his opponent, Alexander Zverev, after losing the first-set tiebreak. Despite raising his thumb as he left the court, some spectators jeered, as the match ended sooner than expected. Zverev, who reached his first Australian Open final, urged the crowd to show respect for Djokovic. He pointed out that Djokovic has dedicated 20 years to the sport and has won multiple grand slams even with injuries. Djokovic later confirmed in a press conference that he had suffered a muscle tear and hadn't trained since his match against Alcaraz. He had tried various methods to manage the pain, including medications and physio work, but the injury worsened during the first set. He admitted that if he had won the first set, he might have tried to continue playing, but he didn't have the physical strength to face a prolonged match.