Novak Djokovic drops a bombshell about his future in tennis after he was left devastated by his shock Australian Open retirement: ‘There’s a chance I won’t be back’
Novak Djokovic says the pain – both physical and emotional – is too raw to make a decision on his future with Andy Murray as his coach, but suggested that he would be keen to continue the partnership.
The 37-year-old went straight in for a hug with Murray after his incredible victory against Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals. But that was achieved despite a muscle tear and he was forced to retire after losing the first set of his semi-final against Alexander Zverev.
Asked about when he and Murray go from here, Djokovic replied: ‘We both were disappointed with what just happened, so we didn’t talk about the future steps. We are so fresh off the court.
‘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.
‘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.’
While a clearly devastated Djokovic admitted it was too early for him to tell how long it will take him to recover, he did sound hopeful of making a return to the tournament he has won a record 10 times.
Is this sad sight the last Australian Open fans will see of Novak Djokovic? The Serb icon was noncommittal about his future in the game in the wake of his shock exit on Friday – but did sound a hopeful note about returning
Adding insult to injury, sections of the crowd booed the 37-year-old as he left the court
Djokovic said he will discuss his future with coach Andy Murray (pictured watching the semifinal) once they’ve both become a little less ‘hotheaded’
‘I don’t know. There is a chance [I won’t be back],’ he said.
‘Who knows? I’ll just have to see how the season goes.
‘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.
‘I normally like to come to Australia to play. I’ve had the biggest success in my career here.
‘So if I’m fit, healthy, motivated, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come.’
Speaking after the Alcaraz win about his embrace with Murray, Djokovic had said: ‘I feel more and more connected with Andy every day. We face challenges every single day. People don’t see that obviously.
‘We try to make the most out of every day and grow together. He’s been as committed to my career and this tournament as he can be.
‘So it was a gesture of appreciation, respect for him, and the fact that he’s out there and he doesn’t need to be. He accepted to work with me. He’s giving all his support to me, to the whole team, and trying to make it work.
Pictured: The moment the 24-time Grand Slam champion came to the umpire’s chair to withdraw from the match
A clearly shattered Djokovic had no idea how long it will take him to recover from the injury – or whether he’ll have to operate under a ‘revised schedule’ for the remainder of the year
‘This was a huge win for all of us, including Andy and myself, you know, for the relationship. Yeah, that’s why I went to him, because I just felt very grateful that he’s there.’
Zverev – who goes on to play either Ben Shelton or Jannik Sinner for the title on Sunday – defended his opponent after he was booed by sections of the crowd at Rod Laver Arena.
‘Please, guys, don’t boo a player when he goes out with injury,’ Zverev said in an on-court interview.
‘I know that everybody paid for tickets and everybody wants to see hopefully a great five-set match and everything.
‘But you’ve got to understand, Novak Djokovic is somebody who has given this sport for the past 20 years absolutely everything of his life.’
The German star was joined in his criticism by former Aussie player John Millman and tennis legend John McEnroe, both of whom were in commentary for host broadcaster Channel Nine.
‘I just think it’s a bit of a shambles, some of the [crowd] behaviour has crossed the line, and that [the reaction to Djokovic’s withdrawal] takes the cake for me … I don’t care how much you spent on your ticket, have some respect,’ Millman said.
‘They [the crowd] can’t be booing him, for god’s sake. He has won this 10 times. Unreal,’ McEnroe said.
‘We all wondering how he was going to hold up after the match with Carlos Alcaraz.
‘But he was managing things. Clearly, things were tight, with Zverev getting the nerves out. It was a closely contested set.
‘He missed the volley and I thought he wasn’t going to miss it.
‘And next thing you know, the only guy happy in the stadium was Zverev. When he put his hands… The look in his eyes was like, “What?” We were all like, “Oh, my god”.’
