(January 28, 2026) In the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, 10-time winner Novak Djokovic advanced to the final four on Wednesday when his opponent Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti was forced to retire with an injured right led. The Italian was leading the Serb 6-4, 6-3, 1-3 when he called it quits.
Djokovic who is looking for a record 25 overall major title, admitted that he was “lucky this time.” Djokovic now has 103 match wins in Melbourne, breaking Roger Federer’s record. Djokovic did not have to play a fourth-round match due to withdrawal, so the set he won was in the third round.
“It happened to me a few times. But being in the quarters of a Grand Slam, two sets to love up and being in full control, I mean, so unfortunate,” Djokovic said. “He should have been a winner today.”
“I just wasn’t feeling the ball today due to his quality and his variety in the game,” he said. “I’m extremely lucky.”
“I honestly have no words to describe how I’m feeling right now and how tough it is for me with this injury in this moment,” Musetti said. “I continued to play because I was playing really, really, really well, but I was feeling that the pain was increasing and the problem was not going away.”
Musetti also was forced to retire in the semis of the French Open last year to eventual champion, Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic will take on two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner for a place in the final. Sinne took out No. 8 Ben Shelton 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Sinner holds a 6-4 edge in the head-to head against Djokovic, winning the last five in a row.
The top four seeds have all reached the semis in the men’s draw, with No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 3 Alexander Zverev facing off in the other semifinal.
