“I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today” – Djokovic insists he is not done yet
The 24-time Grand Slam champion gave a candid press conference following a bruising straight-set defeat to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals
Novak Djokovic, Wimbledon, 2025 © Action Plus / Psnewz
If Novak Djokovic has endured tougher afternoons on Centre Court than he did in today’s loss to Jannik Sinner, then they have been very few and far between.
It was a torrid experience for the seven-time Wimbledon champion, as he contended with both a niggling leg injury and the searing, energy-sapping heat of another London heatwave – all while attempting to overcome the world’s finest player in his scintillating best form.
“Honestly, wasn’t really a pleasant feeling on the court,” were Djokovic’s first words in his post-match press conference.
“Yeah, I don’t want to talk, in details, about my injury and just whine about not managing to play my best. I want to congratulate Jannik for another great performance. That’s it. He’s in the finals. He was too strong.”
As it quickly became evident that this was a task beyond even Djokovic’s stratospheric talents, thoughts inevitably turned to whether the sun was finally starting to set on the Serb’s extraordinary career.
For the second Grand Slam in a row, 23-year-old Sinner knocked out a 38-year-old Djokovic to set up a final between the sport’s two leading players when he meets Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday.
It has to be said that this was the final everyone wanted to see, after the pair’s scarcely believable exploits in Paris five weeks ago.
And as an ailing Djokovic continued to wilt in the face of a younger, fitter opponent, the biggest question buzzing around the Serb’s post-match press conference was whether this may have been his last appearance on Wimbledon’s hallowed Centre Court – a court on which he once went ten years without losing.
djokovic determined to return to wimbledon next year
That notion was quickly and candidly dispelled by Djokovic, however.
“I would be sad, but hopefully it’s not my last match on the Centre Court. I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today,” he told a packed press conference.
“So I’m planning to come back definitely at least one more time, play on the Centre Court for sure.”
Despite these bullish assertions, it was interesting to hear the Serb – defined by his seemingly superhuman physical abilities – directly address the nature of his aging body, from which there can eventually be no escape.
“I don’t think it’s bad fortune. It’s just age, the wear and tear of the body,” he continued.
“As much as I’m taking care of it, the reality hits me right now, last year and a half, like never before, to be honest. It’s tough for me to accept that because I feel like when I’m fresh, when I’m fit, I can still play really good tennis. I’ve proven that this year.”
When pressed on what would be the overriding factors influencing his decision to finally call time on his career, Djokovic was typically philosophical in his response.
“I don’t know. Right now I’m so fresh off the court, it’s hard to put things in a larger perspective and say what the plan is for the next few months or a year,” he replied.
“I’ve put everything I possibly can when it comes to training and preparing myself so I can play my best at Grand Slams. I think, regardless of the fact that I haven’t won a Grand Slam this year, or last year, I still feel like I continue to play my best tennis at Grand Slams. Those are the tournaments that I care about at this stage of my career the most.
“So yeah, I probably have to revisit everything and see with my team, with my family, how I want to proceed with my schedule and where I want to peak and how I want to train.”
exponential task to keep up with sinner and alcaraz, but djokovic believes
Despite the one-sided nature of the contest, Djokovic insisted that it were the physical issues that most disappointed him. It is evident that the Serb believes his level can still be good enough to overcome the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz.
“I’m just trying to make, I guess, the maximum out of what I have left. Again, I just got off the court, so of course, I’m upset and disappointed, mostly not for the loss, because obviously even if I was fit, I wasn’t a favourite to win against Sinner, I know that, but I think I had good chances if I was fit.
“But it’s just that physical aspect that is bothering me. You’re there. You want to play. You’re determined. But then the body doesn’t want to listen. That’s it. That’s what you can say about it.”
As attention now turns once again to a rivalry in Sunday’s final that is set to define this sport for years to come, Djokovic faces the exponentially difficult task of keeping up with these generational talents.
A record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title so far continues to elude him.
But Djokovic is not yet finished. As long as he believes he is still capable of more Grand Slam glory, then he will remain in the hunt.
