Novak Djokovic retirement bombshell may be imminent – his next move will be telling
As Novak Djokovic tried to find the words to describe his latest setback, it appeared he was running out of excuses.
Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp was the latest outsider to add Djokovic’s name to his list of high profile victims, with Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz among those he has also beaten in recent months.
Yet his win against Djokovic may have a lasting impact as there must be a chance it could hasten the retirement of the most successful male tennis player of all-time.
Djokovic still has his sights set on a 25th Grand Slam win and he is one tournament victory away from a 100th ATP Tour title, but both of those dreams seemed a long way in the distance as Djokovic lost 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 against Van de Zandschulp.
The final set of the match was especially concerning for Djokovic, who sprayed errors throughout the match and appeared to throw in the towel as he lost his serve for a second time in the set.
His press conference appearance confirmed that the images of despondency we all witness on court were also present in the mind of a player who will turn 38 just before the start of the French Open in May.
“I regret the level of tennis I produced, considering how I practice these days,” said a clearly deflated Djokovic.
“To be honest, the difference between the center court and the other courts is immense. The ball is bouncing on the center courts higher than some of the highest clay courts, to be honest. Just struggled a lot with that. Couldn’t find the rhythm.
“When I reflect on this match, obviously I’ll see a little bit more what, you know, I could have done more, but I think he played, I think, some really good points to break my serve. But just, yeah, just putting myself in that position, I shouldn’t allow myself to do that.
“I’m disappointed that I lost, but I guess, you know, if you put things in that larger perspective, of course I’ve had an incredible career. Being consistent for so many years, obviously you have high expectations of yourself.
“You know, things are different obviously for me the last couple of years. I’ve been struggling to play on the desired level. Every now and then, I have a couple good tournaments, but, you know, mostly it’s really a challenge. It’s a struggle for me.
“So it is what it is. You know, I guess nothing can prepare you for that moment, in a sense. You have to experience it and try to deal with it in the best possible way.”
They were honest words from a champion who confirmed time and again in 2024 that his motivation to continue in tennis was waning, but that mindset appeared to have been reset for this season.
His move to hire former rival Andy Murray as his new coach was evidence that he was trying to find a new path to achieve the final goals in his career, with his win against Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open a glimpse of what might be possible.
Since that Alcaraz win in Melbourne, Djokovic has failed to win any of his next four matches and while he has stated his desire to continue his time in America by playing at the Mimai Open, there have to be questions over whether the Serbian will continue with his plan to play in Florida.
If he were to pull out of that event later this month, it would be evidence that he is struggling to find the desire to play in non-Grand Slam tournaments and sustaining a career that essentially involves playing just four tournaments a year may not be viable given the rankings and match practice implications.
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“I am who I am because of this sport. You know, it has consumed most of my life since a very young age,” added Djokovic as he reflected on his career.
“So, you know, I try to be the best I can be in different roles outside of the court, but this is what I know the best in my life [smiling]. Dedicated everything to it.
“Yeah, so it’s the perspective of what this sport brought to me is very clear. Has brought everything that I have experienced and I’m eternally grateful for that.
“But, you know, hard to reflect right now a bit more. I hope you understand.”
Djokovic needs to clear his head after this latest knock-out blow and decide whether he has the fire burning inside him to reach out for more before the full stop is added to his story.
Tennis will miss its greatest champion when he calls time on his career, but he may only be a handful of defeats away from accepting his time is up.
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