Doubt cast on Novak Djokovic retirement decision after Wimbledon 'reality' admission

Nick Kyrgios has hinted that Novak Djokovic may decide to call it a day after being thrashed by Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-final. Djokovic was beaten in straight sets by the world No.1 as his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title was ended in brutal style.

The 38-year-old came up short against his 23-year-old opponent 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in just an hour and 55 minutes. While he has 24 Grand Slam titles – seven of which have come at Wimbledon – he hasn’t won a Major since claiming three in 2023.

Sinner is facing Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, meaning the two of them will have shared the last seven Major titles between them. It’s clear that the next era of dominant players are here and, while Djokovic says he plans to play on, he admitted that his advancing years are making things more difficult.

"It's just age, the wear and tear of the body,” Djokovic told reporters. “As much as I'm taking care of it, the reality hits me right now, last year and a half, like never before, to be honest.”

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Reflecting on the state of men’s tennis, Kyrgios told the i: “It’s hard because the game is missing [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal, and Djokovic has… well, he said that it’s not his last match, but I don’t know how believable that is from how I saw him physically [against Sinner]. Alcaraz and Sinner are going to be carrying the torch for the next 10 to 15 years.”

Ex-British No.1 Tim Henman made a similar point while speaking on BBC One ahead of the Wimbledon final. “That’s what we were slightly nervous about, with Federer and Nadal retiring and Djokovic on his last legs and [Andy] Murray having exited the scene, we were looking for the next generation to step up,” he said. “And to have these two incredible players and ambassadors, we really have been blessed in our sport.”

Speaking after his defeat by Sinner, Djokovic said: “Playing best-of-five, particularly this year, has been a real struggle for me physically. The longer the tournament goes, yeah, the worse the condition gets. I reach the final stages, I reach the semis of every slam this year, but I have to play Sinner or Alcaraz.

"These guys are fit, young, sharp. I feel like I'm going into the match with tank half empty. It's just not possible to win a match like that. It is what it is, you know? It's one of these things I accept and embrace in some way, deal with the reality the way it is, and try to make the most out of it, I guess."

Asked if he'd be sad if it proved to be his last match on Centre Court, Djokovic replied: "I would be sad, but hopefully it's not my last match on the Centre Court.

"I'm not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. So I'm planning to come back definitely at least one more time, play on the Centre Court for sure."