John McEnroe shares worrying take on Novak Djokovic’s retirement speculation

Novak Djokovic fell short in his quest for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, losing in the semifinals to a dominant Jannik Sinner—who went on to win the tournament by defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Following the Serbian star’s early exit, tennis legend John McEnroe has expressed concern about Djokovic’s future on tour.

McEnroe, a former World No. 1 who captured three Wimbledon titles and four U.S. Open championships, remains a prominent figure in the sport as both a respected commentator and former champion. A longtime admirer of Djokovic, McEnroe offered a rare and candid assessment of the 24-time Grand Slam winner’s current standing.

Djokovic, who has won Wimbledon seven times, was soundly defeated by Sinner in straight sets. McEnroe admitted the performance raised doubts about Djokovic’s ability to bounce back. “It’s the first time I’ve looked at him and thought: ‘I’m not sure he’s going to come back,’” McEnroe said on the BBC

“I don’t know if he can accept being one or two steps below these guys (Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz). He’s finally joined the group of veteran champions who realize the best may be behind them—and they have to come to terms with that,” he added.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia leaves the court following defeat against Jannik Sinner of Italy during Wimbledon semifinals. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

As Djokovic navigates the latter stages of his career, questions continue to mount about how much longer he can compete at the highest level. McEnroe’s remarks echo a growing sentiment that the dominance of tennis’ longtime king may finally be nearing its end.

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Djokovic on his loss to Sinner

After the 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 loss to Sinner, Djokovic addressed reporters and remained firm about his intentions. “I would be sad if it were my last match, but I hope it’s not my last match on Centre Court,” Djokovic said in his post-match press conference. “I don’t plan to end my career at Wimbledon today. I plan to come back, definitely, at least one more time”.

“Honestly, it wasn’t a great feeling on the court. I don’t want to get into the details of the injury or use it as an excuse. I just wasn’t able to perform at my best level. I want to congratulate Jannik on another great performance. That’s it. He’s in the final. He played really well. I’m disappointed I couldn’t move the way I wanted or expected,” Djokovic added.

McEnroe names future stars who could challenge Sinner and Alcaraz

With the current ATP landscape dominated by Sinner and Alcaraz, McEnroe also weighed in on who might challenge their supremacy in the coming years. “Mensik, Fonseca or Shelton would be my picks right now,” McEnroe said. “I think it’s important to have one or two more guys in the mix. That would be really helpful”.

While Djokovic has not ruled out a return, McEnroe’s comments reflect a shift in tone surrounding the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s future. For now, fans will wait to see if the Serbian legend can defy the odds one more time in the last Grand Slam of the year, US Open.