The dream of a 25th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros has come to an end for Novak Djokovic. The Serbian battled hard but ultimately fell to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who will face Carlos Alcaraz in the final on Sunday, June 8.
Djokovic, the all-time leader in Grand Slam titles, was outplayed by the younger and more physically dominant Sinner. After losing the opening set 6-4, Djokovic rallied with the Parisian crowd on his side, forcing a competitive second set and a tiebreaker in the third. However, Sinner held his ground, closing out the match with a 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3) victory.
In the post-match press conference, Djokovic made a startling revelation, suggesting this might have been his last appearance at Roland Garros. “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,” said Djokovic. “If this was the farewell match of Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd”.
While hinting at retirement, Djokovic expressed his desire to continue competing but admitted uncertainty about his future at the French Open. “Do I wish to play more? Yes, I do,” he admitted. “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”.
Djokovic reflects on his loss to Sinner
Despite the straight-set loss, the match lasted over three hours, with Djokovic pushing Sinner to his limits. In his post-match remarks, Djokovic acknowledged Sinner’s superiority while praising his own effort.
“[It] was a straight-set loss, but I feel like I did give him a run for his money, so to say,” Djokovic said. “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”.
Djokovic’s clay season was underwhelming, marked by an early exit at the Monte–Carlo and Madrid Masters and a no-show at the Rome Masters, despite a title win at the ATP 250 in Geneva. However, he took pride in his Roland Garros performance given the circumstances.
“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,” Djokovic added.
Djokovic on Sinner and Alcaraz rivalry
With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal retired, Djokovic has lost two of his biggest career rivals. However, he sees the emergence of Sinner and Alcaraz as a promising new chapter for tennis.
Djokovic commended their burgeoning rivalry, believing it to be beneficial for the sport and a testament to their potential for long-term success. “I think their rivalry is something that our sport needs, no doubt,” Djokovic noted. “The way they are playing and the way they are approaching tennis life, I think they are going to have very successful careers. I’m sure that we’re going to see them lifting the big trophies quite often”.
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