Novak Djokovic advanced to the semifinals of Wimbledon 2024 following Alex de Minaur's withdrawal due to a hip injury.
The Australian ninth seed was set to face 24-time grand slam champion Djokovic in the second match on Centre Court on Wednesday but was unable to compete after struggling to come through a practice session earlier in the day.
The Serbian will now compete against either Italy's Lorenzo Musetti or USA's 13th seed Taylor Fritz in the semifinals.
The Sporting News takes a look at what De Minaur said after his cruel end to the tournament and what it might mean for the rest of his season.
MORE: All the latest scores and results from Wimbledon 2024
Alex de Minaur hip injury: Australian says it would be disrespectful to face Djokovic when unfit
"I am devastated to pull out due to a hip injury," said De Minaur after it was confirmed he would not face Djokovic.
"I felt a loud crack during the last three points of my match against [Arthur] Fils. A scan confirmed the injury, and there is a high risk of worsening it if I were to play."
De Minaur defeated Frenchman Fils in four sets on Monday to reach his first Wimbledon quarterfinal. He said that his recovery period is set to be between three and six weeks.
"I have struggled to sleep the last couple of days. I feel it when walking," De Minaur added.
"I was hoping to wake up and feel it less, or at least enough to play. But it's almost disrespectful to face someone like Novak without being close to 100 per cent because I wouldn't be able to compete properly."
13 - Following Alex de Minaur's withdrawal, Novak Djokovic has reached a 13th Men’s Singles semi-final at Wimbledon, equalling Roger Federer (13) for the most of any player at the event in the Open Era. Progress.#Wimbledon | @Wimbledon @atptour @ATPMediaInfo pic.twitter.com/FcyNKCpqrC
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) July 10, 2024
For Djokovic, it means he is now one step closer to winning his eighth Wimbledon men's singles title, which would equal Roger Federer's record. This will be Djokovic's 13th Wimbledon semifinal, tying the Open Era record with the Swiss great.
Despite undergoing knee surgery just three weeks before the tournament, Djokovic has been in excellent form. He dominated 15th seed Holger Rune in the quarterfinals, after which he expressed frustration with the crowd, accusing them of using a Rune chant as an excuse to boo him.
