Australian Open: 'Don't boo Novak' – Zverev urges fans to respect Djokovic

Zverev booked his place in the final at Melbourne Park for the first time in his career after Djokovic retired hurt after one set of their semi-final on Friday.

Djokovic had been struggling with the injury he sustained in his titanic tussle with Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.

Sections of the support at Rod Laver Arena began to jeer Djokovic once it became clear the 37-year-old was withdrawing from the match, and Zverev was not happy.

"Please, guys, don't boo a player when he goes out with an injury," Zverev said during his on-court interview.

"I know everybody paid for tickets and wants to see a great five-set match, but you've got to understand, Novak Djokovic has given this sport everything for the past 20 years, and he has won this tournament with an abdominal tear, he has won this tournament with a hamstring tear.

"If he cannot continue a match, it means he cannot continue a match. Be respectful and show some love for Novak."

2 - This is only the second Men’s or Women’s Singles SF at a GS event in the Open Era to be decided via a retirement immediately after the first set, after Francesca Schiavone-Elena Dementieva (Roland Garros 2010). Surreal.#AO2025 | @AustralianOpen @atptour @ATPMediaInfo pic.twitter.com/gFy6ByOIk1

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 24, 2025

Zverev is into his third major final, having never previously won a Grand Slam title.

The German is only the second male player in the Open Era to win and lose a grand slam semi-final via retirement, after Rafael Nadal - who actually claimed one such win against Zverev at the 2022 French Open.

"I'm happy on one hand to be in the final, I’m in the final of a Grand Slam," Zverev continued.

"But on the other hand, there's no guy on the Tour that I respect more than Novak. He's one of my closest friends on the Tour.

"Whenever I’ve struggled, I could always text him, call him, ask him for advice. I was speaking to him for hours in Shanghai last year when I was struggling mentally after the US Open.

"He's somebody that helped a lot. I wanted it to be a tough, five-set match as well. He's won this tournament 10 times, I have nothing but respect for him."

This match was only the fourth men's singles semi-final to be decided via retirement at the Australian Open in the Open Era.

With Djokovic carrying an injury heading into the contest, Zverev was asked if he changed his tactics accordingly.

"I played him here in 2021 when he had an abdominal tear, and he served 28 aces against me," the world number two replied with a smile.

"I have to play 100/%. I played probably one of my best sets of the tournament, and I won 7-5 in a tie-break while he was injured.