"Nobody has been this lucky in history than Novak Djokovic" - Fans react to Serb entering Wimbledon SF after Alex de Minaur's injury withdrawal

Novak Djokovic has reached the semifinals of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships following Alex de Minaur's withdrawal from the tournament hours before the pair's scheduled quarterfinal clash on Wednesday, July 10. Fans have reacted vociferously to the development, with many of them speaking up on what they feel is good luck favoring the Serb once again at a Major.

On paper, the speedy de Minaur, the No. 9 seed in the men's singles draw, would have been the first stern test for the Serb at this year's edition of the prestigious grasscourt Major. Djokovic's run to the quarterfinals saw him brush aside qualifier Vit Kopriva, wildcard Jacob Fearnley, Alexei Popyrin and Holger Rune, with the Serb losing only two sets overall.

Unfortunately, de Minaur picked up a hip injury towards the end of his fourth-round win over Arthur Fils. At the time, the Australian did not show signs of being unable to continue. However, after barely being able to practice for 10 minutes on Wednesday morning, he announced at a press conference that withdrawing seemed like the most sensible choice considering his long-term prospects this season.

"I have to pull out due to a hip injury, a little tear of the fibrocartilage that is at the end or connects to the adductor. I felt a loud crack during the last three points of my match against Fils. I got a scan yesterday and it confirmed that this was the injury and with high risk of making it worse if I was to step on court," de Minaur said.

Several tennis fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to the news and opined that luck is once again firmly on Djokovic's side as he aims to win his 25th Grand Slam title.

"Nobody has been this lucky in sport history than Djokovic," one wrote.

"Djokovic’s luck is unmatched," another echoed.

"This must be a joke," this user said.

"Lmao another joke of a run straight into semis for the fraud," another chimed in.

Another set of fans hinted at the powers that be conspiring to make Djokovic win another Major.

"Establishment working overtime for #25 we will be there," one fan wrote.

"It’s insane how many easy runs Djokovic gets, this is a Grand Slam and he won’t play a single top 10 player till the final.. ridiculous," another said.

"I knew it. Couldn’t have been handed an easier draw. Meanwhile Alcaraz has got Medvedev," a fan weighed in.

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Novak Djokovic equals Roger Federer's record of 13 semifinal appearances at the Wimbledon Championships

The unfortunate withdrawal of de Minaur means that seven-time Wimbledon winner Djokovic is set to make his 13th semifinal appearance at SW19 this year, equaling his great rival Roger Federer's record at the prestigious grasscourt Major.

Novak Djokovic (L) and Roger Federer at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships - Getty Images

Federer's last semifinal appearance at SW19 came in 2019, when he would go on to face Djokovic in a five-set thriller that lasted a staggering four hours and 57 minutes. The Swiss had two championship points, winning either of which would have resulted in him winning his record-extending 9th Wimbledon final.

However, the Serb saved both of them and went on to win the final, despite being statistically inferior to Federer in almost every department. Djokovic reflected on his 2019 final win last year, opining that the Swiss was nonetheless a far better player that day.