Novak Djokovic booed at Australian Open after retiring injured in semi-final

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic faced boos from spectators after leaving the court following an injury during his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev.

Djokovic, aiming for his 11th Australian Open title, retired after losing the first set 7-6 (7-5) in a tough 80-minute battle. The 37-year-old had heavy tape on his left leg to shore up the injury he sustained during his quarter-final match against Carlos Alcaraz.

"I tried everything to manage the muscle tear, but by the end of the first set, the pain became too much for me to handle," Djokovic said.

After missing a volley on set point, Djokovic walked over to shake Zverev's hand, waved to the crowd, and gave a thumbs up, even as some fans booed him.

"I knew even if I won the first set, it would be very hard to keep up physically for hours against him," he added. "I just didn't have the energy today."

Zverev, the German second seed, is still chasing his first Grand Slam title after losing two major finals before. He will play either Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton in Sunday's final.