Jul 8, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Alex de Minaur (AUS) reacts after winning a game against Arthur Fils (FRA) in a gentlemen’s singles match on day eight of The Championships Wimbledon 2024 at The All England Lawn Tennis Club. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Novak Djokovic advanced into his record-tying 13th semifinal Wimbledon after Alex de Minaur of Australia withdrew due to a hip injury on Wednesday.
Scheduled to face Djokovic in the quarterfinals, de Minaur admitted that he injured his hip in the closing stages of his previous match. After attempting to warm up for less than eight minutes early in the day, de Minaur made the decision to withdraw from the match due to his injury.
“I’m devastated, but I had to pull out due to a hip injury,” de Minaur said. “I felt a loud crack during the last three points of my match and got a scan confirming the injury. There is a high risk of making it worse if I were to step on court.”
With Djokovic’s win, he ties Roger Federer for the most Wimbledon semifinal appearances by a man in tournament history. Djokovic will now face off against the winner of the other quarterfinal match.
Despite the disappointment of not being able to compete, de Minaur expressed peace with his decision. He acknowledged the importance of the match but understood the risks of further injury.
“It’s no secret that this was the biggest match of my career. I wanted to do anything I could to play,” de Minaur said. “But the risk of worsening the injury was too great to ignore.”
“One stretch, one slide, one anything, can make this injury recovery go from weeks to months,” de Minaur added. “It’s not worth the risk.”
–Field Level Media
