MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic quit his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev due to a torn muscle in his left leg, leaving Zverev to face Jannik Sinner in the final. Djokovic, a 37-year-old Serbia, was playing his 27th Grand Slam semifinal, and this was his second injury-forced withdrawal in the past four major tournaments. He had hurt his left leg during his quarterfinal victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday night.
Djokovic was bidding for his 11th Australian Open title and a record 25th Grand Slam championship. However, he struggled in the first set, eventually putting a forehand volley into the net and then shaking his head and walking over to tell Zverev the match was over. The crowd booed as he left the court, but Djokovic responded with a thumbs-up.
Zverev, 27, is 0-2 in major finals and this will be his first final at Melbourne Park. Sinner, 20, has won 20 matches in a row and is seeking his third Grand Slam title.
At his news conference, Djokovic said the pain in his left leg was “getting worse and worse” and he was unsure about his future. He may have played his last match at Melbourne Park. “There is a chance. Who knows?” he replied. “I’ll just have to see how the season goes. I want to keep going.” He declined to predict how long he would be sidelined but said he would continue to strive to win more Grand Slams.