Novak Djokovic on the boos in Melbourne: "I felt bitter"

Skopje, 22 August 2026 — Novak Djokovic spoke openly about a tense moment at the 2025 Australian Open when the crowd booed him as he retired from his semifinal against Alexander Zverev because of an injury.

Injury, a long day and a difficult choice

Djokovic arrived at that semifinal after an epic quarterfinal with Carlos Alcaraz: despite a muscle injury and dropping the first set, he rallied to win in four. The earlier match left its mark, however; against Zverev he lost a lengthy first set and ultimately decided he was unable to continue.

As he left the court, sections of the crowd booed, and Djokovic responded with an ironic thumbs-up. He admitted the experience left him with mixed emotions. "I felt bitter leaving the court in that atmosphere, with people who booed. But, what is, is. In a way, I understand them. People want to see the match, they paid for tickets, they came to watch you play – I understand that," Djokovic said.

In the documentary "The Wolf in Winter" he stressed that the decision to retire was not taken lightly. "I know in my heart that if I am able to leave everything on the court, especially at 37 in a Grand Slam semi-final, I would do it. Maybe this is the last Grand Slam semi-final of my career, I don't know," he said.

He added that his body simply could not meet the demands that might have been required to continue. "If I feel that it is not possible to do what I do at the level required to potentially play five sets, then I will not do it. It's simple. I don't expect everyone to understand that," Djokovic said.

Djokovic also revisited his broader relationship with Australia this week, saying that despite his 2022 deportation and the boos three years later he does not hold a grudge. He emphasized that he carries far more positive than negative memories from Australia and that he always looks forward to returning to the country where he achieved some of his greatest successes.

Photo: press material from the event