The abrupt ending to Novak Djokovic’s semifinal match against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open on Friday opened up a Pandora’s box of questions for the former world No. 1 in his post-match press conference: How long will a confirmed muscle tear, which forced him to retire against Zverev after just one set, keep him on the sidelines? Did he think he just played in his last Australian Open? And what’s next for his player-coach relationship with former rival Andy Murray?
But Djokovic ultimately wasn’t ready to comment on the nature of Murray’s future in his team, citing the “disappointment” that both felt as a result of his injured-shortened effort. Earlier in the tournament, the Serb hailed Murray as “as committed to my career and this tournament as he can be,” and that their connection was growing deeper every day.
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“I’ll definitely have a chat with Andy and thank him for being here with me. You know, give him my feedback, which is, of course, positive, and see how he feels and we make the next step,” Djokovic said.
“We are still hot-headed and disappointed, so it’s kind of hard to switch the page and start talking about what the next steps are. You know, I think we both need to cool off a little bit and then we’ll have a chat.”
