Novak Djokovic took on Alexander Zverev in the semifinals of the 2025 Australian Open. A match many touted to be a blockbuster thriller came to an unfortunate anti-climatic ending after the Serb had to retire after the conclusion of the opening set, which the German won 7-6(5) after 82 minutes, due to a muscle tear in his left leg.

The tennis fraternity is used to seeing Djokovic defy the odds and grind his teeth to win Grand Slams even with serious injuries. However, it wasn’t meant to be for the 37-year-old this year who delved into what happened and also addressed some important issues on his future during the post-match press conference.

“I don’t know. There is a chance” – Novak Djokovic on whether this was his final Australian Open campaign

Djokovic was asked if there was a possibility that this was his final campaign in Melbourne. The Serb responded that he might have been done competing at the Happy Slam, the most successful tournament of his career. However, he did mention that he would return under favorable circumstances.

“I don’t know. There is a chance. Who knows. I’ll just have to see how the season goes. I want to keep going, but whether I’m going to have a revised schedule or not for the next year, I’m not sure. I normally like to come to Austin and play and have had the biggest success in my career here. So if I’m fit, healthy, motivated, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come. But there is always a chance.”

The Serb has reigned supreme in Melbourne an unprecedented 10 times. However, he has failed to make it past the semifinals in the last two years.

“You have to try and do as much as you possibly can in the shortest amount of time” – Novak Djokovic addresses his injury

Novak Djokovic sustained a similar injury in 2023 but he was able to compete while dealing with the pain and ended up winning his 22nd Major at the Australian Open. However, he wasn’t able to manage the injury this time around and suffered an unfortunate consequence as a result.

“It’s a muscle tear. Two years ago, I have managed that better. On the court, it didn’t bother me as much. This time, that wasn’t the case. So, in this kind of instances, you have to try and do as much as you possibly can in the shortest amount of time, and that was the case.

Yeah, I had an extra day, so two days no match, so I thought it’s going to be good enough maybe. But that wasn’t the case, unfortunately.”

“My feedback is, of course, positive” – Novak Djokovic opens up about his partnership with Andy Murray

The year 2024 saw a lot of retirements. When Rafael Nadal retired in November, tennis fans were heartbroken, but the 24-time Major champion decided to give them a pleasant surprise with an internet-breaking announcement. He brought his former rival Andy Murray on board as his coach for the Australian Open and the two delivered some of the most iconic moments of the tournament.

Djokovic said both men weren’t really in a proper state to discuss the future of their partnership afterthe Serb’s mid-match retirement but the 37-year-old openly stated he was happy having the Brit by his side and was looking forward to discussing with him.

“I don’t know. We both were disappointed with what just happened, so we didn’t talk about the future steps. We’re so fresh off the court, so I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me and give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive and see how he feels and we make the next step.

We’re still hot-headed and disappointed, so it’s kind of hard to switch the page and start talking about what the next steps are. I think we both need to cool off a little bit and we’ll have a chat.”

Interestingly, Murray was one of the many who hung up his rackets in 2024. He played his final professional match at the Paris Olympics.

I’ll keep striving to win more Slams and as long as I feel I want to put up with all this – Novak Djokovic on his future

Novak Djokovic has spoiled tennis fans by overcoming adversities throughout his career and staging resilient Grand Slam triumphs while being severely injured, but he hasn’t been able to do so in the last few years.

While addressing the issue during the press conference, the Serb said though he wasn’t aware of why he was struggling, he would still strive hard to win Majors as long as he had the fire inside him.

“I mean, how much of a worry is it? I don’t know, it’s not like I’m worrying approaching every Grand Slam now whether I’m gonna get injured or not. But statistics are against me in a way in the last couple of years, so it is true that getting injured quity a bit, last few years.”

“I don’t know what exactly is the reason for that. Maybe several different factors, but I’ll keep going. I’ll keep striving to win more Slams and as long as I feel I want to put up with all this, I’ll be around.”

The Serb had pulled out of the 2024 French Open after tearing the meniscus in his right knee during his match against Francisco Cerundolo. He had surgery and made a triumphant return reaching the Wimbledon final and winning the elusive gold at the Paris Olympics.

“I wish Alexander Zverev all the best. He deserves his first Slam” – Novak Djokovic reveals who he will support in the 2025 Australian Open final

Speaking on how he thought the match went, Novak Djokovic felt he was in fine touch but his physical condition hindered his path to a possible 25th Major. He knew he had to play his finest tennis if he was to beat a player of Alexander Zverev’s caliber and was overall happy with how he performed during the campaign.

However, due to his unprecedented standards, he still had the desire to compete for the silverware.

“I actually thought I played really well, as well as I played the last 12 months, to be honest, and I like my chances if I was physically fit and ready to battle. I’d like my chances today.”

“Who knows, it was never going to be an easy match for me, neither it was for Sascha (Zverev) even if I was not injured, but as I said, I think I was striking the ball well and a lot of positives to take in terms of how I played. Semifinals is a very good result considering the circumstances, but it’s not satisfying to me. For my standards, I always look for the highest goal, to reach the finals and fight for a trophy.”

Djokovic said he’ll be cheering Zverev on in the final and hopes that he can finally get his hands on the elusive Grand Slam title. The German had some huge words of praise for the 24-time Major champion during the on-court interview and expressed his admiration for him.

“I wish Sascha all the best. He deserves his first Slam. I’ll be cheering for him. Hopefully, he can get it here.”

While Novak Djokovic will look to get himself back to 100%, Alexander Zverev will take on Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton in the final of the 2025 Australian Open.