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What Martina Navratilova said about the Australian Open crowd after they booed Novak Djokovic, ‘it’s just disgusting’

Novak Djokovic faced a fresh wave of criticism at the 2025 Australian Open after fans at Rod Laver Arena booed him during his semi-final match against Alexander Zverev. The Serbian star, who had already stunned the tennis world by defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, struggled with fatigue and injury in the match, ultimately retiring after losing the first set.

His early exit sparked a vocal reaction from the crowd, drawing sharp rebukes from tennis legends like Martina Navratilova, who called the booing 'disgusting' and emphasized Djokovic’s clear desire to finish the match despite his physical limitations. Rennae Stubbs echoed her sentiment, labeling the crowd’s behavior as 'disgraceful' and highlighting Djokovic’s status as the tournament’s most decorated champion, who had previously won the title while battling injuries like abdominal and hamstring tears.

Zverev himself intervened on-court, urging fans to show empathy toward Djokovic, who admitted in his post-match press conference that the reception left him bewildered. This incident marks the latest in a series of controversies surrounding Djokovic’s reception at major tournaments, including similar booing at the 2024 US Open.

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