"Even the Novak Djokovic-Carlos Alcaraz match was a letdown" - Fans react to underwhelming men's second week at Australian Open

The second week of the 2025 Australian Open served up several potentially exciting men's singles matches. However, several tennis fans were left disappointed by what ultimately played out in those encounters. According to the fans, none of the men's singles encounters during the hardcourt Major's second week lived up to expectations.

The Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz quarterfinal clash was arguably the most high-profile matchup that took place in the second week. However, the match was marred by Djokovic's injury concern, which required the Serb to take a lengthy medical timeout. While the 24-time Major winner later returned and played at a high level, Alcaraz's performance dipped, ultimately resulting in a surprisingly easy four-set win for the Serb.

Quite a few tennis fans on X (formerly Twitter) bemoaned what they perceived as an overall lack of quality in men's singles matches during the 2025 Australian Open's second week.

"Literally no memorable match to speak of. Even the Djokovic Alcaraz match was somewhat of a letdown," one fan wrote.

"The men's second week has been so bad....," commented another.

"Men’s tennis is so finished just the whole institution is wack and unserious on multiple levels," another chimed in.

Here are some more reactions from fans who have been underwhelmed with the quality of men's singles matches in the second week of the 2025 Australian Open:

"The series finale of men's tennis was in October, idk why people are talking about men's tennis as if it's still happening," wrote a fan, possibly referring to the Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner thriller in the final of the 2024 China Open.

"The ATP #5-25 is the weakest I can ever recall. Good depth in the lower parts of the rankings but these seeded players aren’t getting it done," added another.

"WEAK ERA!" yet another fan weighed in.

The frustrations of fans on-site boiled over after Djokovic retired hurt in the semifinals after playing just one set against Alexander Zverev.

Novak Djokovic booed off court by Australian Open crowd following mid-match retirement in SF; fans' behavior condemned

Novak Djokovic leaving Rod Laver Arena after retiring hurt in the 2025 Australian Open semifinals against Alexander Zverev (Source: Getty)

Record 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic lost the first set of his semifinal clash against Alexander Zverev. The Serb soon shook hands with Zverev and the chair umpire as he decided to retire with injury. This sparked controversial scenes as several sections of fans present at Rod Laver Arena for the match booed the former No. 1 off the court.

Zverev, in his post-match interview, urged the booing fans to reconsider their actions based on Djokovic's legendary status in the sport and his contributions to it over the years. Several other prominent names, including Coco Gauff's former coach Brad Gilbert and Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs, also criticized the behavior of the crowd.

The 2025 Australian Open is set to come to its conclusion on Sunday, January 26, with the men's singles final pitting Zverev against reigning World No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner.