WIMBLEDON, England — Lower than an hour after leaving the court docket following his straight-sets loss within the semifinals to Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic stated he did not imagine this may be his last Wimbledon look.
The 38-year-old had an emotional exit as he walked off the court docket following the 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 defeat. He turned to wave to all sides of Centre Courtroom as the group gave him a standing ovation. When requested if he could be “unhappy” if that was the final match of his profession on the All England Membership, he stated he could be however did not suppose it was.
“Hopefully it isn’t my final match on the Centre Courtroom,” Djokovic stated, “I am not planning to complete my Wimbledon profession immediately. So I am planning to return again undoubtedly a minimum of another time, play on the Centre Courtroom for positive.”
Djokovic, a 24-time main champion from Serbia, had hinted at his impending retirement following his French Open loss final month in the identical spherical, additionally to Sinner, when he stated it may have been “the final match ever I performed right here.”
Subsequently his information convention on Friday garnered heavy curiosity, with almost each seat occupied. The media theater was so stuffed with reporters, it drew a “wow” from Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, when he was rescheduled on the last-minute to talk throughout Djokovic’s preliminary time slot.
Whereas Djokovic admitted on Friday he had been bodily compromised “fairly a bit” through the match — with out providing any specifics — and stated how troublesome it has been to lose to Sinner and Alcaraz in current conferences, he stated he believed he was nonetheless enjoying effectively at Grand Slams.
“I’ve put all the pieces I presumably can in terms of coaching and getting ready myself so I can play my greatest at Grand Slams,” Djokovic stated. “I feel, no matter the truth that I have never received a Grand Slam this 12 months, or final 12 months, I nonetheless really feel like I proceed to play my greatest tennis at Grand Slams. These are the tournaments that I care about at this stage of my profession essentially the most.”
Djokovic added he would seek the advice of together with his group and his household within the close to future to find out how greatest to proceed together with his schedule “and the place I need to peak and the way I need to prepare.” Djokovic had beforehand stated he deliberate on enjoying the US Open, which begins Aug. 24 in New York.
Thought of among the many greatest to ever play the game, Djokovic tied Margaret Courtroom’s longstanding file for essentially the most main singles titles in historical past on the US Open in 2023. After such a powerful season, wherein he received three of the 12 months’s 4 Slam titles and completed at year-end No. 1, he appeared poised to seize the mark outright.
However since then, he has reached only one main last (shedding to Alcaraz at Wimbledon final 12 months) and 4 semifinals. He captured Olympic gold in Paris final summer season — the one substantial title he had but to win — however has in any other case received only one ATP title in that span. Alcaraz and Sinner, who will compete on Sunday for the 2025 Wimbledon trophy, have mixed to win the final six Slam titles. Djokovic stated the duo are “undoubtedly a number of ranges above everybody proper now.”
