E-Paper
'This could have been the last match ever': Novak Djokovic drops massive retirement hint, expected to…
As Novak Djokovic made his way off the court after losing, he also stopped for a moment, set down his bags and turned back to the fans to wave goodbye.
Novak Djokovic fell to a 4-6 5-7 6-7 defeat against Jannik Sinner in their semi-final clash of the ongoing French Open 2025, at the Philippe-Chatrier court on Friday. The Serbian is already 38-years-old, but he showcased his brilliance with a stunning quarter-final win vs Alexander Zverev, and put in a good fight vs Sinner.
As he made his way off the court after losing, he also stopped for a moment, set down his bags and turned back to the fans to wave goodbye, like as if its the last time we are seeing him in action.
Also Read: French Open 2025: Jannik Sinner defeats Novak Djokovic to set up final vs defending champion Carlos Alcaraz
Speaking during the post-match press conference, he said, “This could have been the last match ever I played here, so I don't know. That's why I was a bit more emotional even in the end.”
“If this was the farewell match of the Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd.
“Do I wish to play more? Yes, I do. But will I be able to play in 12 months' time here again? I don't know. That's all I can say for the moment.”
Reflecting on his defeat to Sinner, he said, “[It] was a straight-set loss, but I feel like I did give him a run for his money, so to say. I tried to make him work till the last shot. I did what I could. This is sport. You have to just shake the hand of the better player and move on.”
“I must say that I was proud of my effort tonight [and] in this tournament, considering I wasn't in great form coming into Roland Garros, but he was just too good for me tonight.
“Jannik is the kind of player who loves to play [at a] very fast pace the entire match. He's very physical. He's very fit, and he's striking the ball incredibly well. He seems to always be on good timing. Rarely he's off-balance, and he's just playing the tennis of his life. Wherever you play him, whatever surface, you know that you're going to get that fast pace the entire time, which for me I don't mind necessarily so much, because it makes me alert from the very beginning,” he added.
Sinner will face Carlos Alcaraz in the final, with the Spaniard beating Lorenzo Musetti in the semis.
