Djokovic exits as Sinner, Zverev reach final; Sabalenka faces Keys test for 3rd straight title

Novak Djokovic retired injured from his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev on Friday and left the court to boos, with defending champion Jannik Sinner to face the German for the title.

Top-ranked Sinner blew past Ben Shelton 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-2 despite some late cramp in the second semi-final in Melbourne to set up a meeting between the Italian and second seed Zverev.

The Rod Laver Arena crowd jeered Djokovic, who played with a heavily taped leg, when he called it a day after losing a gruelling first set against Zverev, leaving his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam crown in tatters.

The 37-year-old Serbian great shook hands after going down 7-6 (7/5) and said he had been hampered by a muscle tear.

Djokovic, the last of the “Big Three” following the retirements of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, hinted that he may have played his last Australian Open.

“There is a chance. Who knows?” Djokovic said when asked if he may have graced for the last time the Melbourne Park courts where he is a 10-time champion.

“I normally like to come to Australia to play. I’ve had the biggest success in my career here. So if I’m fit, healthy, motivated, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come,” he added.

Djokovic has now gone five Grand Slams without winning the title he needs to surpass Margaret Court’s 24 and become the all-time leader.

In the other semi-final, Sinner had to save two set points in a tight opening act that lasted a marathon 71 minutes and he suffered in the latter stages after long rallies against his high-octane American opponent.

Once Sinner grittily snared the opening set on a tiebreak he took only another 85 minutes to win the next two sets against 22-year-old Shelton.

Sinner is on the cusp of a first successful Grand Slam title defence after winning his maiden major crown in Melbourne last year.

‘Three-peat’ dream can become reality for Sabalenka: Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will battle American 19th seed Madison Keys in the final on Saturday looking to become the first woman since Martina Hingis from 1997-99 to win the Australian Open title three times in a row.

Sabalenka will be the overwhelming favourite to defeat Keys and complete the ‘three-peat’ after prevailing in four of their five previous meetings, with the Belarusian slowly and steadily finding her best form in the major that has defined her career.

Although she has not shown the same kind of devastating form as her last two Melbourne Park campaigns, Sabalenka’s mental toughness, consistency and sheer power have come to the fore at crucial times. Victory on Saturday would see her become the sixth woman to win three straight Australian Open titles, joining Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Hingis.

“It’s crazy that I’m in a situation where I have a chance to put my name next to legends,” said Sabalenka, who is bidding for her fourth Grand Slam title after winning the 2024 US Open.

“I couldn’t dream about that. It’s going to mean a lot.”

The first world number one to reach the final at Melbourne Park since local favourite Ash Barty in 2022, Sabalenka can expect huge support as she goes for her 21st straight win on Rod Laver Arena.

“I just feel at home,” Sabalenka added.

“Last year I thought, ‘Okay, I feel at home, I feel so good here, I feel all the support’. This year I feel it even more. It feels like coming home to my home Slam.”

Despite an impressive start to 2025, few would have expected Keys to get this far but the 29-year-old is a worthy finalist having beaten world number two Iga Swiatek in the last four.

Swiatek was the third top 10 seed to lose to Keys after the American defeated sixth seed Elena Rybakina in the last 16 and 10th seed Danielle Collins in the third round.

Agencies