"I'm still surprised that he retired this match, he looked completely fine" - Novak Djokovic on Daniil Medvedev's midmatch retirement during their SF clash at 2022 Astana Open
Novak Djokovic advanced to the Astana Open final after Daniil Medvedev retired midway through their semifinal clash on Saturday. In the summit clash, the 35-year-old Serb will go up against third-seed Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Medvedev and Djokovic headed into the decider after the score stood at 4-6, 7-6(6) when the Russian surprised everyone by retiring from the contest.
Medvedev Forced to Retire! 😳
After @DjokerNole took the second set, Medvedev has withdrawn due to injury in Astana
#AstanaOpen https://t.co/w33Iyozrce
Reflecting on his opponent's retirement, the Serb revealed in his on-court interview that Medvedev had informed him that he had pulled an adductor muscle in his leg.
"I really hope that his injury is nothing too serious," Djokovic said, adding, "I know Daniil, he’s a great guy, he’s a fighter, he’s a big competitor. He wouldn’t retire a match if he didn’t feel that he [could] continue or [if it wouldn't] worsen his injury. He told me that he pulled an adductor muscle in his leg."
Acknowledging that the Russian had the upper hand in both sets, Novak Djokovic expressed his remorse that his opponent had to leave the game in this manner.
"It was such a close match, particularly in the second set. I would probably say he was a better player on the court in both sets. I was fighting and trying to find a way. I found a way to win the second, but I’m just sad for the tournament and for these people who were enjoying the battle, and for Daniil that it had to end this way," Djokovic said.
"The media has not been very nice to me, but I kind of expected it" - Novak Djokovic
In an interview with Guy Azriel of i24NEWS following his title win in Tel Aviv last week, Novak Djokovic reflected on his unvaccinated status. The Serb declared that he did not regret his choice and that he was prepared to take the hit for upholding his moral principles.
"I stay true to my values and to things that I believe in and I believe in freedom of choice and I believe that everyone should have possibility to choose what they would to do their bodies, so I made my decision," Djokovic said.
"That meant that I am not going to two Grand Slams and that's fine you know. It is what it is. I will take the consequence of that but I will stay true to what I believe in," he added.
The 21-time Grand Slam champion also admitted that the media hasn't treated him well and added that he is prepared to deal with it by appearing on court and doing what he does best.
"The media has not been very nice to me, but I kind of expected it because the media is not always so nice when there is an agenda in terms of strategy. So I have to just deal with it and swallow it, and go out on the court and do what I do best, and that's playing tennis," Djokovic acknowledged.