Djokovic's Shock Exit from Australian Open Sparks Controversy Among Fans

Djokovic's Shock Exit from Australian Open Sparks Controversy Among Fans

29 days ago | 5 Views

India, Jan. 24 -- Novak Djokovic appeared to be in exceptional form during the initial set of his 2025 Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev, often seeming to have the upper hand over the German. Thus, it came as a surprise to many when he chose to retire immediately after losing the tie-breaker. While he received applause as he exited, a notable portion of the audience at Rod Laver Arena expressed their discontent by booing him. Djokovic was seen pausing to acknowledge them with a thumbs-up gesture before departing the court. This prompted Zverev to appeal to the crowd, urging them not to boo a player who has withdrawn due to injury, a sentiment echoed by American tennis legend John McEnroe, who later criticized the fans.

"They cannot possibly be booing him. Please!" he remarked during his commentary for the host broadcasters. "He has won this tournament ten times. I mean, come on. Clearly, something was amiss," McEnroe later stated on Channel Nine.

"The man is a fighter. He and Rafa [Nadal] have shown more resilience than any two players I have ever witnessed. Therefore, to boo him for deciding he could not continue after all he has accomplished here is, in my opinion, utterly absurd. That was nearly as disheartening as witnessing the conclusion of the match," he added.

This incident is not the first instance of crowd behaviour drawing attention at the Australian Open this year. American player Danielle Collins experienced confrontations with the audience, being heckled during her second-round match against local favourite Destanee Aiava, to which she responded by blowing kisses to the crowd after her victory. Djokovic later praised her for her spirited response. Additionally, a match had to be relocated to another court after the noise levels became excessive at the only venue in Melbourne Park that featured a bar, commonly referred to as the "party Court."

Zverev urged spectators not to boo a player leaving the court due to injury, particularly in Djokovic's case, as he was pursuing an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title and an 11th Australian Open championship. 

"Please, everyone, refrain from booing a player when he exits due to injury. I understand that everyone has paid for their tickets and all that."

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