Novak Djokovic receives "intensely motivated" verdict from tennis insider despite heartbreaking Australian Open mid-match exit

Tennis insider, Gill Gross, weighed in on a ray of hope for Novak Djokovic's return after he retired mid-match in the semifinals against Alexander Zverev. He came fresh off his win over Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz despite facing minor issues in the first round.

En route to his 11th AO title, Djokovic faced his Olympic rival Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, losing the first set after opting for a medical time-out but triumphing in the next three 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

The Serb's semifinal clash with Zverev saw him concede after losing the opening round 7-6 (5). It was confirmed later that he was dealing with a torn muscle in his left leg. His mid-match retirement also received fan backlash on the court.

Gross took to X and opined on Djokovic's 'intensely motivated' form in the match, hoping to have him back with less frequent injuries.

"The goal is obviously to win No. 25, but that's a positive AO for Djokovic. Looked intensely motivated, moved better than I'd seen at any point in 2024 and beat Alcaraz. Level is still there. Gotta hope the injuries stay relatively infrequent."

The 72-time Big Title winner clinched his first Olympic men's singles gold at the 2024 Paris Games, achieving the Career Super Slam and Golden Slam. Days later, he vied for his 25th Grand Slam title at the US Open but lost to Alexei Popyrin in four sets, his first defeat in a season-end major since 2017.

Novak Djokovic on his future appearance at Melbourne Park - "I want to keep going"

Djokovic speaking at the 2025 Australian Open post-match conference - (Source: Getty)

Novak Djokovic amassed a record ten Australian Open titles across his career besides other major wins. He set his sights on the 2025 title but a persistent injury ended his run.

Shedding light on that, the Serb said he was having difficulty from the first quarterfinal set against Alcaraz which got worse in the semifinals.

"I didn't hit the ball since (the) Alcaraz match until like an hour before today's match. I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had. Medications and I guess the (tape) and the physio work helped to some extent today. But towards the end of that first set, I just started feeling more and more pain and it was too much for me to handle. Unfortunate ending, but I tried." (via post-match conference)

Nevertheless, the tennis legend hinted at his stint at Melbourne Park in the future, saying:

"There is a chance. Who knows? I'll just have to see how the season goes. I want to keep going.”

The 37-year-old had a similar injury setback at the 2024 French Open, withdrawing before the QF for a right knee injury that tore his medical meniscus.