Weirdest AO match ever? Musetti injury propels Djokovic into 13th Melbourne semifinal
Novak Djokovic benefited from the abandonment of Lorenzo Musetti (4-6, 3-6, 3-1) on Wednesday night and will face the winner of the match between American Ben Shelton, the No 8 seed, and Italian Jannik Sinner, the second seed, in the next round
Lorenzo Musetti and Novak Djokovic, Austalian Open 2026 | © Imago / PsNewz
Novak Djokovic reached the semifinals of the Australian Open under dramatic and fortunate circumstances when Lorenzo Musetti retired during the third set of their quarterfinal clash. Musetti, the No 5 seed, had produced an inspired performance to lead 6-4, 6-3, 1-3 before an injury to his groin and adductor area made it impossible for him to continue.
The retirement marks a bittersweet milestone for Djokovic, who has now won just 11 games across his last two scheduled matches due to consecutive opponent injuries.
Novak Djokovic becomes the first player in the Open Era to benefit from two retirements and/or walkovers in the second week of a single Grand Slam tournament.
A “Fortunate” Path Through the Draw
The 10-time champion’s journey to the final four has been significantly aided by his opponents’ physical struggles. Djokovic received a walkover in the fourth round when Czech teenager Jakub Mensik withdrew, and Wednesday’s result against Musetti followed a similar pattern of mid-match misfortune for his rival. Despite grappling with a “very nasty” foot blister that required medical attention during the quarterfinal, the Serb survives to keep his title defense alive.
“I don’t know what to say except for I feel sorry for him,” Djokovic admitted during his on-court interview following the retirement. “He was the far better player, I was on my way home tonight. Don’t know what to say, these kind of things happen in sport. It happened to me a few times. You know, being in quarters of a grand slam up 2 sets to love up and being in full control. I mean, so unfortunate. I don’t know what else to say. I wish him a speedy recovery and he should’ve been the winner today no doubt.”
Heartbreak for Musetti
For Lorenzo Musetti, the retirement was a crushing end to a tournament where he had displayed career-best form on hard courts. The 23-year-old Italian appeared, as he shared with the media, to feel the injury from the start of the second set, and his mobility visibly deteriorated after sitting through a medical timeout earlier in the match.
Musetti, who had previously defeated Taylor Fritz and Lorenzo Sonego to reach his first Melbourne quarterfinal, was forced to shake hands with Djokovic after attempting to manage the pain for several games in the third set.
Djokovic now prepares for a high-stakes semifinal against either the second seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner or American eighth seed Ben Shelton. As he reaches his record-extending 54th Grand Slam semifinal, the Serb is the third oldest man in the Open Era to achieve a Grand Slam semifinal, keeping his dream of a 25th major crown within reach.
