Djokovic reveals muscle tear: 'It was getting worse & worse'

Novak Djokovic revealed that he had suffered an unspecified muscle tear that led to his retirement from the Australian Open after one set of his semi-final on Friday against Alexander Zverev.

“I didn't hit a ball since [the] Alcaraz match, so until like an hour before today's match. I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I had,” Djokovic said. “Medications and, I guess, the strap, and the physio work helped to some extent today. But yeah, 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.”

Despite it being clear he was not physically at his best, the 37-year-old, who had his upper-left leg taped, played well enough to put himself in a winning position in the first set against Zverev. He missed a high volley into the net at 5/6 in the tie-break to lose the set.

Had Djokovic won the point and eventually the set, the Serbian explained that it was possible he would have continued. However, the 24-time major champion said “it was getting worse and worse” and declared it a “huge uphill battle” to remain fit enough for physical rallies for several more hours.

“It’s a muscle tear. Two years ago, I have managed it better. On the court it didn't bother me as much. This time that wasn't the case,” Djokovic said. “So in these kind of instances I guess have you to try to do as much as you possibly can in the shortest amount of time, and that was the case. I had an extra day, so two days no match. So I thought it's going to be good enough maybe. But yeah, that wasn't the case, unfortunately.”

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a four-set, quarter-final blockbuster. The physical issue showed in that match, but he was able to persevere.

“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,” Djokovic said. “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.”

On dealing with a physical problem, Djokovic said: “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.

“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.”

Djokovic was honest in stating that right off the court, he was still “disappointed and upset”, especially needing to retire from an event where he has claimed 10 of his major trophies.

“In some instances or some phases of the match you feel better; some you are feeling almost anxious. So you have to weather that storm. Sometimes it works in your favour, sometimes it doesn’t,” Djokovic said. “It also depends on the other player, how he's managing those situations. That's the beauty of one-on-one sport, individual sport, is such that there is no replacement, there is no substitution.

“I could not go out now after first set and somebody comes in for me and then I rest for an hour and maybe come back or maybe come back for the next match and my team wins. It doesn't happen in our sport.”

The No. 6 player in the PIF ATP Live Rankings said he will undergo more examination when he returns to Europe and discuss with his medical team a course to move forward.

“I had success with quick recoveries in the past. Let's see,” Djokovic said. “It just depends on the muscle and how it responds to the treatment.”

“It is true that [I have been] getting injured quite a bit [the] past few years. I don't know what exactly is the reason for that,” Djokovic said. “Maybe several different factors. But I'll keep going. I’ll keep striving to win more Slams. And as long as I feel that I want to put up with all of this, I'll be around.”