It was not the ending Novak Djokovic had envisioned, but the moment held the gravity of a possible goodbye. After a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 loss to 23-year-old Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinal, the 24-time Grand Slam champion waved to all corners of the stadium. The crowd, fully aware of what might be at stake, stood and roared. At 38, Djokovic has started to speak more candidly about time, how little of it may be left in his competitive career, and how fast it seems to be moving. It brings to mind how his father had already let slip the Serbian star’s retirement plans.
Sinner needed just an hour and 55 minutes to secure a place in Sunday’s final, where he’ll face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic, meanwhile, was seen taking a medical timeout to treat his left thigh, another reminder that the body doesn’t recover the way it used to.
After the match, he didn’t shy away from the question that hung over the moment. Would this be his last Wimbledon appearance? “Hopefully it’s not my last match on the Centre Court,” Djokovic said. “I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. So I’m planning to come back definitely at least one more time, play on the Centre Court, for sure.”
However, his father, Srdjan, has been encouraging Novak Djokovic to step away from the sport for a while. According to Srdjan, the family has already begun having retirement conversations. “When Novak finishes his tennis career, he will live in his city, Belgrade, his country Serbia,” Srdjan said in an interview last year. “I think there is no greater satisfaction, pride and success than your child spreading the glory of his people and his country all over the world.”
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