"Unbelievably poor taste" - Tennis insider hits out at crowd for booing Novak Djokovic off the court after shocking Australian Open conclusion

The sun set on an unfinished dream at the Rod Laver Arena, as Novak Djokovic- the terminator retired from the semifinal match of the ongoing Australian Open after a heated first set against Alexander Zverev. The German won the set and eventually the match, 7-6(8).

The crowd treated the Serb with a fair mix of applause and disapproval, as he bid adieu to an opportunity of winning 25 Grand Slam titles. The displeasing reaction from the crowd was strongly condemned by Jose Morgado, a well-known tennis insider on X.

"This was unbelievably poor taste from the crowd tbh. 10 times champ who probably went on court just for the crowd to watch a bit of him. Hopefully not for the last time. Don’t boo injured athletes. Doesn’t make sense, folks," he wrote.

The 37-year-old had seemingly decided that he couldn't continue with the match any longer. He was quick to walk over to Zverev's side of the court, post the tie-break, and after a hug and an embrace, wrapped up his AO 25 journey with a heavy heart.

---

"Please be respectful"- Alexander Zverev appeals to crowd as Novak Djokovic retires mid-match at the AO 25 semifinals

Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev embrace after AO 25 Semifinals match - Source: Getty

A match that was supposed to be a 5-set nail-biter, ended in the first set after Novak Djokovic was unable to continue playing due to his persistent injury. He showed signs of struggling in the last match and wasn't seen in practice either. After continuing for 86 minutes in the first set, the Serb gave a walkover to the German at the semifinals of the Australian Open 2025.

At the post-match interview, when Alexander Zverev was asked about his thoughts on Djokovic's retirement, he pleaded with the crowd to be courteous to his opponent.

"The first thing I want to say is, please, guys, don’t boo a player when he goes out with injury," he said.

The German highlighted how they shared a great camaraderie on and off the court. He claims that he did not want the match to pan out the way it did and thinks of himself as lucky to be able to play against one of the greatest the sport has ever seen.

"Novak Djokovic is someone who has given absolutely everything of his life to the sport for the past 20 years. If he cannot continue a tennis match, it truly means he cannot continue," he sympathized with the Serb.

Zverev will be in action on Sunday at the Finals of the Men's Draw at the 2025 Australian Open. The German eyes a first Grand Slam title win, after heartbreaks in his last two at the 2017 and 2020 US Opens.