"In 10 years no one's going to care that Novak Djokovic didn’t play" - John McEnroe on Alexander Zverev's road to Australian Open final

John McEnroe reflected on Novak Djokovic's retirement during his 2025 Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev. The American opined that in 10 years, the Serb's retirement will fade away but if Zverev manages to win the title, his memory will live on.

On Friday, January 24, Djokovic took on Zverev in a highly anticipated match for a place in the coveted Australian Open final. Both competitors played impressive shots and long rallies but neither could break the other's serve.

Eventually, Zverev won the first set 7-6(5) after Djokovic netted a volley from up close. Surprisingly, the Serb headed over to the German's side soon after and hugged him announcing his retirement mid-match. As a result, Zverev advanced to his first Australian Open final.

Reflecting on the happenings of the first men's singles semifinal in Melbourne, McEnroe was reminded of his first Grand Slam title. On his way to the 1979 US Open final, he received a walkover and a mid-match retirement.

The American claimed that years later, the memory of the winner lives on and retirements fade away.

"The first time I ever won a major, I got a couple of defaults, and I bet no one here, not even you two—Jelena or John—would know that," John McEnroe said during Channel 9's broadcast.

"In 10 years' time, if Zverev ever wins this, no one’s going to know or care that Novak didn’t play. He got through; it’s not his fault. But it’s a bummer because it was starting to get very interesting," he added.

John McEnroe also addressed the unfortunate booing that occurred during Djokovic's exit.

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John McEnroe slams Australian Open crowd for booing Novak Djokovic after SF retirement against Alexander Zverev

Novak Djokovic reacts to boos from the crowd after retiring against Alexander Zverev at the 2025 Australian Open - Source: Getty

Shockingly, Novak Djokovic was booed off the court by the Rod Laver Arena after he retired from his 2025 Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev. John McEnroe expressed his disbelief and disappointment over the crowd's reaction to the Serb's exit.

"He's won this 10 times, I mean, come on. The guy clearly, you know, something was up. The guy's a battler. I mean, him and Rafa [Rafael Nadal] have dug deeper than any two players I've ever seen — mentally, physically, you name it," McEnroe said.

McEnroe criticized the booing as "absolutely ludicrous" and added:

"That was depressing. That was almost as depressing as the end of the match, honestly. To see him do that and then put his thumbs up... too bad, too bad."

Alexander Zverev condemned the crowd for their actions at the start of his post-match on-court interview. The German will now face the winner of the semifinal between Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton in the final on Sunday, January 26.