- Novak Djokovic has been ruled out of the Wimbledon semi-finals
- His rival, Alex de Minaur, has withdrawn due to injury.
- It means he will face either Lorenzo Musetti or Taylor Fritz.
Alex de Minaur retired from the quarter-finals with a hip injury, sending Novak Djokovic straight into his 13th Wimbledon semi-final.
“I’m devastated. This was the biggest match of my career,” said the dejected Australian, confirming the unfortunate news.
In an extraordinary stroke of bad luck, the Australian was injured on the final shot of his fourth-round win over Frenchman Arthur Fils as he lunged for a magnificent volley winner.
In that moment of victory he knew immediately that something was wrong. He looked strangely at his box, where his girlfriend Katie Boulter, the British number one, was sitting, and walked to his chair, where he sat shaking his head.
Immediately afterward, she put on a brave face and said, “I’ll be fine,” but it seems her first, devastating response on the court was right on target.
“Obviously, it’s not an announcement I wanted to make in any way,” he said Wednesday. “I’m devastated to be retiring because of a hip injury, a small tear of the fibrous cartilage that’s at the end or connects to the adductor.
‘I felt a strong crack during the last three points of my match against Fils and yesterday I had a scan and they confirmed that that was the injury and that there was a high risk of it getting worse if I went on court.’
It is bad luck for the world number 9, who had the chance to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final.
Djokovic’s quarter-final opponent, Alex de Minaur, was forced to retire on Wednesday
As for Djokovic, what had until now been a smooth road to his eight titles became even smoother.
All eyes have been on the seven-time champion this week after he launched a shocking attack on the Centre Court crowd over what he interpreted as boos during his win over Holger Rune on Monday night.
It seemed like the crowd was simply chanting “Ruuuuuuuune!” for his opponent, but Djokovic saw things differently.
“To all the fans who have been respectful and stayed here tonight, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I appreciate it,” he began. “And to all those people who have chosen to disrespect the player, in this case me, have a gooooood night.”
“They did. They were disrespecting me,” he insisted. “I don’t accept it. No, no, no. I know they were cheering for Rune, but that’s an excuse to boo too.”
‘Listen, I’ve been on the circuit for over 20 years. I know all the tricks. I focus on respectful people who pay the entrance fee, who love tennis and appreciate the players. I’ve played in much more hostile environments, believe me, you guys can’t touch me.’
Djokovic’s presence at this year’s tournament was in doubt before a ball was hit, with the Serb undergoing knee surgery just days before the main grass-court tournament.
In the final he will face either Lorenzo Musetti or Taylor Fritz. He has a strong record over both players, having beaten the Italian in five of their six matches, while he has never lost to American Fritz in their nine meetings.
De Minaur will be devastated to be leaving the tournament early, having accepted his honorary Briton status because of his relationship with Boulter.
“I feel very loved there, I must say,” De Minaur said after his victory on Monday. “I always love coming to Wimbledon and playing here. I always feel like I play my best tennis. Over the years I feel like the support I’ve had has grown significantly.
“It’s a great feeling as a player to know that you have so many people in that stadium supporting you, when you’re so far from home.”
Asked if he “actually feels a bit British”, De Minaur replied with a smile: “Yes, definitely. Over the years I’ve learned a lot more about British culture thanks to Katie. I’m on my way.”
Boulter, who has been dating De Minaur since March 2022, was in her players’ box for the match against Fils and was expected to be there again for the quarter-final clash.
More to follow.
