Australian Open 2026: Novak Djokovic scrapes into semi-finals as Lorenzo Musetti retires injured when two sets up

To surpass Margaret Court’s record of 24 major singles titles, Djokovic will need to limit his time on the court, keep points short and hope some good luck comes his way.

He has achieved all this so far, but he could not have predicted reaching the semi-finals by relying so much on luck.

Djokovic had a rough start against Musetti and immediately fell apart, but then lost his way in spectacular fashion.

A horrendous overhead miss handed Musetti the break back and Djokovic never recovered, sending down just one ace and committing 18 unforced errors to nine winners en route to losing the first set.

Djokovic often returned to the box in disbelief and anger, but at the start of the second set he had only himself to blame.

After breaking Musetti and taking a 30-0 lead on serve, Djokovic regained the initiative by making five unforced errors in six points.

With a one-handed backhand and improved serve that kept Djokovic guessing, Musetti stopped his opponent to move within touching distance of his first Australian Open semi-final.

Musetti’s level made the injury even more surprising. After being broken in the third set, he immediately called his coach and quit the game after making a brave attempt in the next service game.

“I honestly have no words to describe how I feel right now,” Musetti said.

“I felt it at the beginning of the second set. I could feel the pain increasing and the problem not going away.”

Djokovic had warm words for his opponent at the net and afterwards, knowing how devastated the 23-year-old, who struggled with physical problems early in his career, was.