A ‘horrific’ injury nearly led to Novak Djokovic's exit from the Australian Open, but his opponent withdrew just moments later, allowing him to advance.
Despite taking a four-day break, Djokovic struggled with an agonizing blister that threatened to end his tournament run early. In what seemed like a twist of fate, for the second consecutive match, his rival pulled out due to injury shortly after Djokovic received treatment, astonishingly granting the 24-time Grand Slam champion a place in the semi-finals.
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In this instance, world No. 5 Lorenzo Musetti found himself forced to retire due to injury, mirroring a situation from less than a year ago when he had to withdraw while leading against another top-tier competitor. After the match, Djokovic expressed his dismay, stating, "He was clearly the better player... I’m not sure what to say. He should have won today." He acknowledged his own struggles, saying, "I genuinely tried my hardest, but the feel for the ball just wasn’t there for me in the initial sets, which I attribute to both my condition and his impressive skills."
Earlier in the tournament, Djokovic had already dealt with a blister during his third-round victory over Botic van de Zandschulp, and he managed to skip the fourth round thanks to Jakub Mensik's withdrawal. However, the four days of rest were insufficient for the ten-time Australian Open champion to fully recover.
During the match, Djokovic required a medical timeout to address multiple foot problems, including a popped blister located just a few centimeters beneath his big toe, along with fresh wrapping for his toe. Tennis legend John McEnroe commented on the situation, stating, "That is really painful. I can’t believe it wouldn’t affect his game. At his age, movement is crucial, and such pain can be mentally taxing. He started strong but seemed to fade. The doctor is clearly trying to assist him."
It’s worth noting that Djokovic hasn’t been eliminated before the semi-finals of the Australian Open since 2018, when he suffered a loss to Hyeon Chung, who ironically had to withdraw from his semi-final match against Roger Federer due to a severe blister problem described as "a blister under a blister under a blister" by his agent.
This scenario almost played out again until Musetti unexpectedly injured himself early in the third set. Following Djokovic’s break of his serve, Musetti required physio attention for his groin, prompting McEnroe to remark, "This is an unbelievable shift in the match. It’s disheartening to witness; it’s unfortunate."
After resuming play, Musetti attempted to win points quickly, indicating a lack of confidence in his movement, ultimately leading to his retirement—a repeat of his experience in last year's French Open semi-finals against Carlos Alcaraz.
In a notable display of sportsmanship, Djokovic alerted the umpire about hitting the ball, conceding a point to Musetti even though the call had not gone against him. Veteran tennis journalist Christopher Clarey praised Djokovic’s honesty, tweeting, "Kudos to Djokovic for giving up a point in a critical moment after admitting he had touched the ball, despite it not being called; it’s rare and cost him—that allowed Musetti to break him and take a two-set lead."
With this match concluded, the victor is expected to face Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.
