"Ugly moment" - Novak Djokovic gets support from Justine Henin after Australian Open injury saga

Novak Djokovic received support from Justine Henin following an injury saga at the Australian Open. Henin strongly criticized those who heckled the Serb as he left the court after retiring from his match at the Grand Slam tournament.

Djokovic, who was vying for his 11th Melbourne Major title and 25th Grand Slam title overall, had a successful run in the early rounds of the tournament. He defeated Nishesh Basavareddy, Jaime Faria, Tomas Machac, and Jiri Lehecka in the first four rounds.

In the quarterfinals, the former World No.1 managed to overcome Carlos Alcaraz despite him having visible signs of struggle during the match which also included him taking a medical timeout. However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion had to withdraw from his semifinals match against Alexander Zverev after the first set due to a muscle tear in his upper left leg, with the score at 7-6(5).

While Novak Djokovic exited the court following his retirement, the spectators in the stadium booed him which did not sit well with fellow players, commentators, fans, and others. Among them was seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin who criticized the behavior of the spectators at the Rod Laver Arena.

While speaking to Eurosport, Henin said that the former World No.1 being booed at the Australian Open was an "ugly moment."

“Djokovic has had his best moments here, but also a suspension three years ago. Today, in my opinion, was an ugly moment. We cannot accept that for a player who has given so much today, but also in the history of this sport... We understand that people have paid for this game, but we have to be nuanced," Henin said (translated from Spanish).

Justine Henin also pointed out that Djokovic has limited opportunities to compete at Grand Slam tournaments before retirement, and booing a "champion", according to her, was not "logical."

“Djokovic has very few Grand Slam retirements, he is 38 years old, he still comes here to give his best... It is not logical considering he is a champion. He was right to react, it was ironic. He belongs to that group of players who do not keep quiet in the face of this behaviour, he is right," she added.

Before commencing his campaign at the 2025 Australian Open, the Serb participated in the Brisbane International, where he reached the quarterfinals before being defeated by eventual runner-up Reilly Opelka.

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Novak Djokovic's compatriot Viktor Troicki also calls out the booing fans at Australian Open

The Serb at the 2025 Australian Open [Image Source: Getty Images]

During an interview with Bolavip, Viktor Troicki expressed his disappointment with the treatment Novak Djokovic received during the 2025 Australian Open. He stated that as the days are going by, Australians are treating his fellow Serb "worse and worse."

Troicki said that he found it both "surprising and disappointing" to witness the 10-time Australian Open champion being booed, especially after he sustained an injury.

“I think they are treating Novak worse and worse. It is surprising and disappointing to see the greatest player of all time experiencing so many bad things happening in Australia. Especially in a place where he has played his best tennis and has won 10 titles, that he got booed after the injury. It was really disrespectful and disappointing,” Viktor Troicki said (as quoted by 7 News).

In 2024, the 24-time Grand Slam champion made it to the semifinals of the Melbourne Major before being defeated by eventual champion Jannik Sinner. He last won the Grand Slam title in 2023 after triumphing over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.