By Chris Oddo | @Thefanchild | Friday 24 January 2025
Novak DjokovicThe bid for a record 25th major title ended in heartbreaking fashion as the Grand Slam King was forced to retire after one set against Alexander Zverev due to a muscle tear in his left leg.
But the 37-year-old Djokovic is still taking some positives from his run to the semi-finals.
“I actually thought I played really well, as well as I’ve played the last 12 months, to be honest,” he said. “I liked my chances if I was physically, yes, fit and ready to fight. I liked my chances today. Who knows? Of course, it was never going to be an easy battle, an easy match for me …
“But like I said, I think I was hitting the ball very well. Very positive to take in terms of how I played the semi-final. It’s a very good result considering the circumstances. But it’s not satisfactory for me, you you know, for my standards. I’m always looking for the highest goal, to reach the final and fight for a trophy.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=decczh3kgne
It’s a tough way to start the season, but Djokovic believes he can win more majors provided he can get healthy and stay healthy.
“I will continue,” he said. “You know, I’m going to keep trying to get more hits. And as long as I think I want to do with all of that, I’m going to be around.”
Djokovic confirmed the nature of his injury and said he simply wasn’t able to recover in time. Known for his extraordinary powers of recovery, Djokovic has already lifted two Australian Open trophies after enduring serious injuries. This year, he was unable to summon the magic, however.
“It’s a muscle tear,” Djokovic said. “Two years ago, you know, I did better. In the trial it didn’t bother me as much. This time it didn’t. So in these types of cases I think you try to do as much as you can in the time shorter, and so it was.
“I had an extra day, so two days no match. So I thought it will be quite good maybe. But yeah, it wasn’t like that, unfortunately. “
Although disappointed, the Serbian legend vows to soldier on in 2025 in search of more great glory. But he was not ready to say he would return to Australia in 2026. Asked if he might have played his last game in Melbourne he said:
“There is a chance. Who knows? I’ll just have to see how the season goes. I want to continue. But whether I will have a revised schedule or not for next year, I am not sure.
“Normally I love coming to Australia to play. I’ve had the most success in my career here. So if I’m fit, healthy, motivated, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come. “
As for the near future, Djokovic plans to play Doha next month, but he is not sure that he will be able to do it.
“I still have the Doha tour in a few weeks scheduled,” he said. “Whether I play it or not, it really depends on how quickly I recover. But I’ve had success with quick recoveries in the past. Let’s see. It just depends on the muscle and how it responds to treatment.”
