Novak Djokovic made it to the semifinals, avoiding a 2-set deficit

Novak Djokovic‘s path to the Australian Open The 2026 semi-final was played by a a dramatic and unexpected twist on Wednesday night in Melbourne, as was Lorenzo Musetti forced to retire despite holding a commanding two-set lead in their quarter-final clash.

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

Two. Sets. Clearly 😳

Lorenzo Musetti is closing in on a BIG win.#AO26 pic.twitter.com/VialafvV9k

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2026

However, the momentum suddenly shifted early in the third set. Musetti began struggling to move and required medical attention for what was later described as a thigh and groin problem.

Despite trying to continue, his mobility was visibly compromised. Trailing 1-3 in the third set, Musetti made the difficult decision to retire, finished the match and sent Djokovic into his 13th Melbourne semi-final without winning a set.

Absolutely heartbroken for Lorenzo Musetti 💔

The Italian was 2-0 up against Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open before he was forced to withdraw due to injury 😰 pic.tvitter.com/kCtSnDt4Ai

— TNT Sports (@tntsports) January 28, 2026

After his speech, Djokovic was sincere and sympathetic. openly admitting that the score did not reflect the balance of the game.

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

The unusual victory followed another upset earlier in the tournament, when Jakub Mensik withdrew before their fourth meetingwhich means that Djokovic spent minimal time on the court this week. Although the manner of his progress was unconventional, the result still carries historical weight — the 38-year-old is now two wins away from a record 25th Grand Slam title.

Djokovic will face the winner quarterfinals between Yannick Sinner and Ben Sheltonknowing that luck has taken him this far, but he is sure to face tougher tests.