Following criticism and speculation regarding his early retirement from the Australian Open semifinal, Novak Djokovic has released an image of his injured hamstring. The tennis star faced boos and online skepticism after withdrawing from the match against Alexander Zverev just one set in, citing a torn muscle. Djokovic's post on X, formerly known as Twitter, showcased an MRI scan taken the day after the match seemingly in response to those questioning the severity of his injury. While he didn't provide specific medical details or a recovery timeline, the image aimed to address the "sports injury ‘experts’" who doubted his claim.

The 37-year-old veteran had been struggling with the injury since his quarterfinal victory against Carlos Alcaraz, playing with tape on his upper left leg in both matches. During the semifinal, Djokovic explained that the pain intensified towards the end of the first set, becoming unbearable and forcing his retirement. Zverev, following his on-court interview, defended Djokovic against the booing spectators, highlighting the tennis star's extensive contributions to the sport over two decades.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a backhand return to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025.  (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures to the crowd during his third round match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)