Australian Open 2026 results: Novak Djokovic advances to semi-finals as Lorenzo Musetti withdraws due to injury after two sets

For Djokovic to surpass Margaret Court’s record of 24 major singles titles, he will need to limit his time on court, keep points short and hope he gets lucky.

He’s done it so far – but he didn’t expect to reach the semi-finals by relying so heavily on chance.

Djokovic started strong against Musetti, then immediately broke down, but then lost his way spectacularly.

Musetti wasted a horrific overhead serve but Djokovic never recovered, serving just one ace and committing 18 unforced errors to nine winners en route to losing the first set.

Djokovic often turned to the penalty area in a state of disbelief and annoyance, but he only had himself to blame at the start of the second set.

After breaking Musetti’s serve and going 30-0 on serve, Djokovic committed five unforced errors in six points to regain the initiative.

Riding on a one-handed backhand that left Djokovic at a loss and improving his serve, Musetti outplayed his opponent to move within striking distance of a first semi-final at the Australian Open.

Musetti’s form made the injury even more surprising. After being broken in the third set, he immediately called the coach, and after a valiant attempt on his next service game, he called him back.

“Honestly, I have no words to describe how I feel right now,” Musetti said.

“I felt it at the beginning of the second set. I felt that the pain was increasing and that the problem was not going away.”

Djokovic had warm words for his opponent at the net and afterwards, having struggled with physical issues early in his career, knew how devastated the 23-year-old was.