Serena Williams' ex-coach worried about Novak Djokovic's future after latest injury at Australian Open

Serena Williams' ex-coach, Rick Macci, recently expressed concern about Novak Djokovic's future following an injury he sustained at the 2025 Australian Open. Djokovic faced Alexander Zverev in his 12th semifinal at the tournament since turning pro but was unable to continue beyond the first set.

On Monday, Macci posted on X, stating that the former World No. 1 is at a critical point in his career due to a hamstring injury. He warned that the injury could become a long-term issue and impact Djokovic's gameplay. Macci also pointed out that the Serb's recovery will be pivotal in determining whether he can secure another Grand Slam title.

“The next Step for the JOKER is the most important Step in his career. A hamstring tear can become Chronic and because the rubber band man moves like Sonic explosive movement is the Step to another Slam but it all depends on his Ham,” Rick Macci wrote.

On Saturday, Djokovic shared an MRI scan image from Melbourne showing a prominent dark area on his thigh. In the caption, he took a swipe at critics who were unhappy with his early retirement from the match.

“Thought I’d leave this here for all the sports injury “experts” out there,” he wrote on X.

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Novak Djokovic on withdrawing due to injury - “I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had”

Australian Open 2025 - Source: Getty

Still recovering from a leg injury from his quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic began his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev with a tape on his thigh. The closely contested clash ended with Djokovic retiring after losing the first 6-7(5) due to worsening pain. The former World No. 1 said (via tennis.com):

“I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had," he said. "Towards the end of that first set, I just started feeling more and more pain. It was too much, I guess, to handle for me at the moment. Unfortunate ending, but I tried.”

Due to his injury, Novak Djokovic was booed by the crowd. In the post-match interview, his opponent, Alexander Zverev, acknowledged that fans wanted an exciting match but urged them to understand and show compassion towards the Serb, who has dedicated 20 years to tennis.

“I know that everybody paid for tickets and everybody wants to see hopefully a great five-set match,” Zverev said. “But you’ve got to understand — Novak Djokovic is somebody that has given this sport, for the past 20 years, absolutely everything of his life.”

Before his Australian Open run, Novak Djokovic competed in the Brisbane International where he was defeated by Reilly Opelka in the quarterfinals. He also teamed up with Nick Kyrgios, who had just returned from an injury, but they were unable to make it past the doubles second round.