Djokovic Undeterred by Injury, Eyes More Grand Slam Titles

Novak Djokovic has pledged to continue his pursuit of more Grand Slam titles despite retiring from the Australian Open semi-final due to injury.

Novak Djokovic has vowed to continue his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title, despite the disappointment of retiring from the Australian Open semi-final due to a muscle injury. The 37-year-old Serbian great was forced to abandon his match against Alexander Zverev after losing the first set 7-6(5), making a painful exit from Rod Laver Arena amidst booing from some sections of the crowd.

Novak Djokovic's injury setback in Melbourne marked his second Grand Slam withdrawal in a year, having previously pulled out of the French Open with a knee problem before his quarter-final against Casper Ruud. As he approaches his 38th birthday, time may be catching up with the legendary player, but he remains determined to defy the odds and achieve more success in the twilight of his remarkable career.

Despite his recent injury woes, Djokovic insisted that he is not unduly worried about his fitness ahead of each Grand Slam. However, he acknowledged that the statistics are against him, given his frequent injuries over the past couple of years. “It's not like I'm worrying approaching every Grand Slam now whether I'm going to get injured or not, but statistics are against me in a way in the last couple of years,” he told reporters. “So it is true that (I am) getting injured quite a bit the last few years. I don't know what exactly is the reason for that. Maybe several different factors,” Djokovic added, reflecting on his recent struggles with injuries.

Despite his injury-induced retirement from the Australian Open semi-final, Novak Djokovic remains resolute in his pursuit of more Grand Slam titles. The 37-year-old Serbian great, who is closing in on his 38th birthday, is determined to continue competing at the highest level. “But I'll keep going. You know, I'll keep striving to win more Slams. And as long as I feel that I want to put up with all of this, I'll be around,” Djokovic declared.

Djokovic's retirement from the match against Alexander Zverev was a surprising turn of events, given that he had shown few signs of distress until late in the first set. The Serb had his left thigh taped when he took the court, but his movement and play seemed unaffected until the injury began to take its toll. Djokovic had previously battled through injuries to win titles at Melbourne Park, including a hamstring issue in 2021 and an abdominal muscle tear in 2021.

Although Djokovic was “upset and disappointed” by his retirement, he adopted a philosophical tone, acknowledging that he would have risked further injury by continuing to play. “I actually thought I played really well, as well as I played the last 12 months, to be honest,” Djokovic said. “I liked my chances today... A lot of positives to take in terms of how I played semi-finals. It's a very good result considering the circumstances. But it's not satisfying to me, you know, for my standards. I always look for the highest goal, to reach the finals and fight for a trophy.”

Tried to recover for today’s match but I could only push so far. Nevertheless, positives to take out of this year’s Aus Open. Congratulations to @AlexZverev for making another GS final. I wish you to win the title because you deserve it, my friend 💪🙌 pic.twitter.com/BZPyQqPk6R

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 24, 2025

Djokovic also expressed his support for Alexander Zverev, who will bid for his first Grand Slam title in the final. “I'll be cheering for Sascha, definitely,” Djokovic said, using Zverev's nickname. The Serb was impressed by Zverev's performance and believes he has a good chance of winning the title.

Regarding his new partnership with Andy Murray, who helped Djokovic prepare for the Australian Open, the Serb was non-committal about their future collaboration. “I'll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me. You know, give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels,” Djokovic said. “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.”