The Australian Open crowd has come under fire after booing tennis legend Novak Djokovic as he retired from his match against Alexander Zverev due to a hamstring injury.
The unbelievable scene unfolded on Friday, with many in attendance Showing little sympathy for the 10-time Australian Open champion.
What Happened: A Timeline of Events
Djokovic abruptly called it quits after losing the first set in a tiebreaker, revealing later that he had suffered a torn hamstring.
This was not the first time he had struggled with an injury, having hurt his leg in his quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz.
Despite the visible signs of pain, Djokovic had opted to continue playing, but ultimately decided to retire to avoid further aggravating the injury.
McEnroe and Zverev Slam the Crowd
Tennis great John McEnroe was quick to condemn the crowd’s behavior, saying “They can’t possibly be booing him. Please! He’s won this 10 times, for god’s sakes. Unreal.”
McEnroe, who was commentating on the match for Channel 9, couldn’t believe the treatment Djokovic received, stating “He’s won this 10 times. I mean, come on.
I mean, clearly something was up. The guy is a battler. I mean, him and Rafa [Nadal] have dug deeper than any two players I have seen.”
Zverev also showed his support for Djokovic, telling the crowd during an on-court interview “The very first thing I want to say is please, guys, don’t boo a player when he goes out with an injury… Novak Djokovic is someone who has given this sport for the past 20 years absolutely everything of his life.”
Djokovic Speaks Out
In his post-match press conference, Djokovic explained the situation, saying “I did everything I possibly can to basically manage the muscle tear that I have…
But yeah, towards the end of that first set, I just started feeling more and more pain, and it was too much to handle for me at the moment.”
Despite showing little signs of the injury earlier, Djokovic was not seen on the practice courts on Thursday, and his retirement from the match came as a surprise to many.
The Tennis World Reacts
The tennis community has widely condemned the crowd’s behavior, with many taking to social media to express their disappointment and support for Djokovic.
The incident has sparked a wider debate about the treatment of players and the importance of respecting their decisions, especially when it comes to injuries.