Djokovic opens the door to retirement: "It could have been my last match at Roland Garros"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 7 Jun 2025 | 00.05

Djokovic opens the door to retirement: "It could have been my last match at Roland Garros". Photo: Getty Images

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As clear as it gets, Novak Djokovic expressed in the press conference following his defeat against Jannik Sinner (6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3)) in the Roland Garros semifinals. The 24-time Grand Slam champion did not hide the strong possibility that this could have been his last appearance at the Paris major. His farewell from Philippe Chatrier, leaving his racket on the ground to applaud the audience and bending down to touch the clay, showed that it was not just any farewell, but a very heartfelt and special one.

Despite the defeat, the Serb possibly played his best match since the Olympic final. A competitive level at 38 years old never seen before. He gave his all, fought hard, and put the world number one on the ropes in all three sets. In fact, the three sets were decided by small details that ultimately gave Sinner the pass to the Roland Garros final. And in regards to this great match, Sinner's performance, the possibility of retirement, and his emotions leaving Chatrier, he spoke in the press conference.

Moved leaving the court

"I just felt a tremendous sense of gratitude for the support I received tonight. It was incredible. I think I had never received so much support in this stadium during important matches against the best players in the world. It was a great honor, obviously. I wasn't the happiest with the loss, but I tried to show my gratitude to the crowd because they were fantastic in moments when it seemed everything was going their way, and then they lifted me up, cheered me on, and gave me strength to keep going and fight until the last ball, as I did."

In awe of Sinner's level

"Congratulations to Jannik for another very good and solid performance. I believe mentally he deserves great recognition for enduring the tough moments when the whole stadium was cheering and, you know, facing set points against him, and he managed to find some really good shots. He showed why he is the world number 1. He was very solid tonight."

Possible last time in Paris?

"This could have been my last match here at Roland Garros. That's why I was a bit more emotional, even in the end. But if this was the farewell match for me at Roland Garros in my career, it was wonderful because of the atmosphere and what I received from the public. I don't know what tomorrow holds for me at this stage of my career. I will move forward, yes. Obviously, Wimbledon is next, which is my favorite childhood tournament. I will do everything to prepare. I suppose my best chances maybe Wimbledon, you know, to win another Slam or a faster hard court, maybe Australia."

Missed opportunity in the third set

"I am proud of my effort tonight at this tournament, considering I was not in great form coming into Roland Garros, but yes, tonight was too good for me. I had some opportunities in the third set. I had a forehand, went for it, and missed it. That's what these kind of guys, like Sinner and Alcaraz in particular, present on the court. They constantly pressure you and increase the pressure as the match progresses. So when opportunities arise, they are very rare, so, you know, it makes you a bit more anxious, I suppose, and you want to go for the shot or something. That's what happened. I missed."

"In terms of tennis level, I think it was three tight sets. The second and especially the third could have gone in my favor, yes, one or two points, one or two shots, but he was a deserved winner. I felt constantly under pressure, and he didn't give me time to hit the ball. He was constantly on the line, trying to make me defend. That's why he's the world number one. I wish him all the best for the final. I think it's going to be an incredible battle between him and Carlos, the two best players at the moment."

Not confirming retirement 100%

"I said it could have been my last match. I didn't say it was. So right now, I don't know. 12 months at this stage of my career is quite a long time. Do I want to play more? Yes, I do. But will I be able to play here again in 12 months? I don't know. I don't know. So, yes, that's all I can say for now."

"I will try to stick with the plan I had, which is to play the Grand Slams. Those tournaments are the priorities on my calendar. Wimbledon and the US Open, yes, are in the plans. That's all I can say right now. I will do it unless something happens, I don't know, whatever. But I feel like I want to play Wimbledon, I want to play the US Open. Those two, for sure. For the rest, I'm not so sure."

Analyzing the match

"Jannik is the kind of player who likes to play at a very fast pace all the time. He's very physical. He's in great shape and hits the ball incredibly well. He seems to always be in a good rhythm. He rarely gets rattled, and he's playing the tennis of his life. Wherever you play against him, on any surface, you know you're going to have that fast pace all the time, which I don't necessarily mind so much because it keeps me alert from the start. Yes, I mean, look, the first set, yes, was closer. It was 6-4. Second set, I had some break points. It was a break, counterbreak. He served for the set. I came back, had 40-15, lost it. Yet, he deservedly won the second set."

"And in the third, I think I probably played the best tennis of the whole match. I think I was closer to winning that set. In crucial moments, he had the right game and mindset, and he must be congratulated. That's it. Undoubtedly, he was the better player tonight. It was a straight-sets defeat, but I feel like I gave him a run for his money, so to speak. I tried to make him work until the last shot. I didn't want to give up, especially on such a big stage, in the semifinals of a Grand Slam. Yes, I did what I could. That's sports. You have to shake hands with the better player and move forward."

Ignoring his discomfort

"I was bothered a bit throughout this tournament in some long matches. It's a muscular issue that needed to be treated and worked on. But I guess the deeper you go in the tournaments, the more physically demanding the matches are, the more you'll aggravate the problem in a way. But it wasn't giving me too much trouble. So I wouldn't say it was an obstacle to my game. I could still move almost at 100%. So I was fine. I wouldn't give it too much attention, to be honest."

Sinner reminds him of his prime

"When I was at my best, I also played quite fast, you know, all the time. But, you know, he's a different player, and I don't want to compare our games. I think he's unique in his own way. Did I play better? I would say no, because I lost. If I had won, maybe yes, but I lost the match. It's a different match, you know. It's different... You know, with Zverev, I felt I had more time from the baseline, you know, to play different tactics or things, have a bit more time on the ball to prepare. With Jannik, no. There's no time. So you have to give your best constantly. I think I was playing at a pretty good level, honestly. At some moments at a very high level, but he did too. He was a better player than me tonight," assures Djokovic, who may have played his last Roland Garros but has done it in style, being the greatest tennis player of all time.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic abre la puerta a la retirada: "Ha podido ser mi último partido en Roland Garros"