Boris Becker says Novak Djokovic must accept new reality after Jannik Sinner defeat at Wimbledon

“Against [Jannik] Sinner, in the first two sets, I think he was relatively fit. Sinner, of course, was the better player because for me Sinner is Djokovic 2.0; he’s another version of Djokovic – 15 years younger. Novak knows that too.

“I’m glad he reached the semifinals; he played a great tournament but is that enough for him?

“He’s still playing tennis because he wants to win 25 Grand Slams to become the sole record holder.

“But it must be said that on their good days Sinner and Alcaraz are better than Djokovic is on his good days. That frustrates him but he’s a realist.

“The question is how realistic are the chances that he’ll win another Grand Slam now because time is running out for him?”

Novak Djokovic remains a serious threat at the top of men’s tennis

It’s odd that there’s so much discussion around Djokovic continuing his career, especially when he’s made the semi-finals at all three Grand Slams this year.

For most players, that would be a career highlight. But for a 24-time Grand Slam champion, it doesn’t quite measure up.

As long as he keeps reaching these late rounds, he’s always in with a shout. All it takes is one of Alcaraz or Sinner to slip up early, and suddenly that path to number 25 looks a lot more open.

If he’d managed to get past Sinner at Wimbledon, Alcaraz was waiting in the final—a player who’d beaten him in their last two finals. Taking down both in one tournament would have been an enormous ask.

He might need things to break his way, but by staying close to the top of the game, he’ll always have chances. He’ll probably keep going until either luck favours him or his body gives out. Either way, someone of his stature has more than earned the right to decide when it’s time to stop.