Top 10 tennis mid-match retirements: From Novak Djokovic being a ‘sore loser’ to Serena Williams’ unlucky slip

After Victoria Azarenka’s seventh mid-match retirement in just over a year, Tennis365 remembers some of the controversial, unlucky and plain brutal incidents that ended proceedings prematurely, featuring Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Nick Kyrgios, Emma Raducanu and more.

Tennis needs to stand up for Ukraine

What next for Russia's top tennis players?

Importance of a coach in tennis

Naomi Osaka's problems

Novak Djokovic back as world No. 1

Drive to attract more female coaching talent

Andy Murray reunited with Ivan Lendl

Is Carlos Alcaraz the next big star of tennis?

Is Nick Kyrgios good for tennis?

“It’s happened before. He’s not the guy who’s never given up in his career. That’s kind of disappointing to see when you have two top guys and you give up.”

Ouch. These were Roger Federer’s thoughts on defending champion Novak Djokovic pulling out of his 2009 Australian Open quarter-final against Andy Roddick. The Serb was two sets to one down and suffering from heat stress when he felt enough was enough.

Djokovic defended his corner: “People could see that I was struggling with movement, the main reason is cramping and soreness in the whole body.”

Tuesday, June 29 2021 was a glimpse into the future without a Serena or a Roger at SW19.

These two almost forty something champions were in dire trouble. The wheel of fortune fell for one but not the other

Roger Federer was struggling against Italian journeyman Adrian Mannarino, who was two sets to one up and had a break point in the fourth before slipping and then, ultimately retiring just before the start of the fifth set with a knee problem. Federer admitted: “Obviously, he was the better player, so I definitely got a bit lucky.”

Serena’s luck then ran out. Locked at 3-3 after