Novak Djokovic crashed out of the US Open semifinals after a painful loss to Carlos Alcaraz which spells the end of his Grand Slam season for 2025. Djokovic successfully reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slams, but was not able to progress beyond, as a straight set loss in New York left him titleless at this level this year as well.
Novak Djokovic acknowledges the crowd after his loss at Arthur Ashe Stadium.(REUTERS)
While Djokovic is expected to see out the year with tournaments in Shanghai and Paris, at 38 years old, his burden of work is expected to be at a lower level than in the past. Djokovic’s priority has been the search for a 25th Grand Slam victory, but as he ages, and as his younger opponents become stronger and stronger, that has become a more difficult task for the Serb to achieve.
Approaching his 40th birthday, and with priorities extending beyond just tennis, Djokovic’s retirement has been a big talking point on the tennis tour. With his levels nearly a couple of notches below Alcaraz and Sinner, some believe that Djokovic is not too far from calling time on his playing career. One such player is British great Tim Henman, who expects Djokovic might just play his last Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne at the Australian Open early next year.
“I think he will (retire). I think he will give it one more year at the Australian Open,” saif Henman of Djokovic on Sky Sports. “That’s where he’s had his greatest success. So I think he will have one more attempt down there. But maybe he doesn’t even know at this stage.”
Djokovic casts doubt on grand slam future
This was also a sentiment held by Novak Djokovic himself, who admitted that his days at the best of five level might be numbered, and that this form of the game was something he would have to ‘re-assess’ with his team. However, he maintained that missing grand slams was not something he was yet considering.
The Australian Open remains Djokovic’s strongest tournament, where he has lifted the trophy on 10 occasions in the past, and even beat Alcaraz earlier this year. It will certainly function as a strong barometer to see whether or not he has enough in the tank to keep pushing for another grand slam season, or if he might prefer to spend more time with his family.
You don’t write off Djokovic, especially in Melbourne, but he might see this as the right time for a swan song. Before that, it is the third Alcaraz vs Sinner clash in a slam final this year, as the top-two ranked players go head-to-head in the US Open final for a slam title, world number one, and bragging rights.