Wimbledon: Alex de minaur Withdraws Before Match Through Injury
An injury sustained by Alex de Minaur means he has been forced to withdraw from the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where he was due to face seven-time winner Novak Djokovic for a spot in the last four. The world No. 9 revealed that a hip injury sustained in the closing stages of his fourth-round win over Arther Fils has prevented the blockbuster clash, as Djokovic advances to the semi-final.
Novak Djokovic has automatically advanced to the semi-finals of the Wimbledon after Alex de Minaur withdrew from the tournament through injury.
The Australian was set to play seven-time champion Djokovic in the quarter-final on Wednesday but pulled out of the clash.
De Minaur has confirmed he sustained a hip injury in the final game of his fourth-round win against Arther Fils on Monday.
A statement from the 25-year-old read: "Obviously not an announcement I wanted to make by any means. I am devastated to pull out due to a hip injury, a little tear of the fibre cartilage that is at the end of or connects to the adductor.
"I felt a loud crack during the last three points of my match against Fils and got a scan yesterday and it confirmed that this was the injury and was a high risk of making it worse if I was to step on the court."
De Minaur’s withdrawal means Djokovic enters the semi-final stage at SW19 for the 13th time, as he bids to win a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title - the same number as tennis great Roger Federer.
No. 2 seed Djokovic will play either Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti for a place in Sunday’s final, with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz still lurking on the opposite side of the draw.
Djokovic was expected to make his highly anticipated return to Centre Court on Wednesday following his fourth-round victory over Holger Rune, which ended in controversial circumstances.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion hit out at the Wimbledon crowd in a heated moment after the match, which led to John McEnroe labelling him the “Darth Vader” of tennis.
Djokovic will have to wait until Friday to return to the showpiece court, a circumstance he will most likely welcome after battling his injury issues ahead of the tournament.
If he gets past either 13th seed Fritz or No. 25 rank Musetti, he will play either Alcaraz - in a repeat of last year’s final - or Daniil Medvedev for a historic shot at another title.
