Novak Djokovic asked if he will play the Australian Open again after retiring against Alexander Zverev

Novak Djokovic admitted there is “a chance” he will not return to the Australian Open after he was forced to retire during his semi-final match with Alexander Zverev due to injury.
After losing a one-hour-and 21-minute first set against second seed Zverev 7-6(5), Djokovic could not continue and shook hands with his opponent.
The 37-year-old Serbian battled off five break points en route to forcing a tiebreak, which he narrowly lost after a forehand volley error on set point.
Despite being highly competitive, there were moments where the No 7 seed grimaced with discomfort, while he looked to shorten points more frequently as the set progressed.
It was a shock when the tennis legend shook hands with Zverev immediately after losing the set, with the decision leading to some incredibly unfair booing from members of the Rod Laver Arena crowd.
The 10-time Australian Open winner was troubled by the same leg injury he sustained in the first set of his remarkable four-set quarter-final win against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday.
Novak Djokovic News
Novak Djokovic sheds light on injury after retiring from Alexander Zverev Australian Open showdown
‘I can’t believe people are pointing to Novak Djokovic when Jannik Sinner did that the day before’
In his press conference, Djokovic was asked if he may have played his final match at the Melbourne Grand Slam.
“I don’t know. There is a chance. Who knows? I’ll just have to see how the season goes,” the 24-time major winner said.
“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 Australia and play and I’ve 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’s always a chance [it is the last time], yeah.”
Djokovic added: “I actually thought I played really well, as well as I played the past 12 months, to be honest. I liked my chances if I was physically fit and ready to battle.
“I liked my chances today. Who knows? Of course, it was never going to be an easy battle, an easy match for me. Neither was it for Sascha, even if I was not injured.
“Injury is the biggest enemy of a professional athlete. In the past I managed certain injuries, like the one you mentioned a few years ago that to some extent even helped me even play better and win the tournament (the 2023 Australian Open).
“It wasn’t to be this time. That’s okay. I cannot throw away all the incredible memories and results and achievements that I’ve achieved here over the years just because this year I retired in the semi-finals.”
READ NEXT: John McEnroe’s ‘injury’ theory directed at Novak Djokovic could have big consequences