Novak Djokovic makes Australian Open semifinals, escapes two-set deficit after Lorenzo Musetti injury

Novak Djokovic’s path to the Australian Open 2026 semifinals took a dramatic and unexpected turn on Wednesday night in Melbourne, as Lorenzo Musetti was forced to retire despite holding a commanding two-set lead in their quarterfinal clash.

Musetti, the 23-year-old Italian, appeared on course for the biggest win of his career after outplaying the 10-time Australian Open champion across the opening two sets. The fifth seed controlled rallies, exposed Djokovic’s unusually high error count, and raced to a 6-4, 6-3 advantage while looking physically sharp and tactically superior.

Two. Sets. Clear

Lorenzo Musetti is closing in on a MASSIVE win.#AO26 pic.twitter.com/WialafwW9q

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2026

However, the momentum shifted abruptly early in the third set. Musetti began to struggle with movement and required medical attention for what was later described as a thigh and groin issue.

Despite attempting to continue, his mobility was visibly compromised. Trailing 1-3 in the third set, Musetti made the difficult decision to retire, ending the match and sending Djokovic into his 13th Melbourne semifinal without having won a set.

Absolute heartbreak for Lorenzo Musetti

The Italian was 2-0 up against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarter-final before being forced to retire with injury pic.twitter.com/qCtSnDt4Ai

— TNT Sports (@tntsports) January 28, 2026

Speaking afterwards, Djokovic was candid and sympathetic, openly acknowledging that the result did not reflect the balance of play.

“I don’t know what to say except for I feel sorry for him. He was the far better player, I was on my way home tonight,” Djokovic said, via The Tennis Letter. “It has happened to me a few times… So unfortunate, I don’t know what else to say. He should have been the winner today.”

The unusual win followed another walkover earlier in the tournament, when Jakub Mensik withdrew before their fourth meeting, meaning Djokovic has spent minimal time on court this week. While the manner of his progress has been unconventional, the result still carries historic weight — the 38-year-old now stands two victories away from a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.

Djokovic will face the winner of the quarterfinal between Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton, knowing that luck carried him this far, but tougher tests surely await.

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