Novak Djokovic received a free pass into the Wimbledon semifinals after his quarterfinal opponent, Alex de Minaur, withdrew from the tournament due to a hip injury. De Minaur, the ninth seed from Australia, made the announcement just hours before their scheduled match at Centre Court.
De Minaur expressed his disappointment at having to withdraw, stating, 'Obviously not an announcement I wanted to make, by any means. I'm devastated.' The Australian player revealed that he had heard a crack during his previous match and felt the severity of the injury during a practice session on the day of the quarterfinal.
This walkover puts Djokovic in the Wimbledon semifinals for the 13th time, tying Roger Federer for the most appearances by a man in tournament history. Djokovic, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, will now face either Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti in the semifinal match on Friday.
De Minaur acknowledged the risk of exacerbating his injury by playing another match, stating, 'The problem with me going out and playing is that one stretch, one slide, one anything, can make this injury recovery go from three to six weeks to four months. It's too much to risk.'
Despite the disappointment of missing out on his first Wimbledon quarterfinal appearance, De Minaur emphasized the significance of the match, calling it the biggest of his career. He had reached the quarterfinals at the French Open last month as well.
With Djokovic advancing to the semifinals, tennis fans are eagerly anticipating his upcoming match as he continues his quest for another Wimbledon title.
