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Novak Djokovic Clarifies Retirement Stance After Wimbledon Loss to Jannik Sinner

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 4:55 PM ET

On Friday afternoon, the Centre Court grass bore witness to one of the most startling shifts in recent men’s tennis.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner dismantled Novak Djokovic in straight sets, 6‑3, 6‑3, 6‑4, to claim his first Wimbledon final berth and, in doing so, halted Djokovic’s run of six consecutive appearances in this championship match.

The defeat marked the first time since 2017 that Djokovic failed to reach the final at the All England Club, ending a streak that had spanned nearly a decade.

After the defeat, Djokovic acknowledged both the sting of the loss and the broader context of his Wimbledon tenure.

Asked whether he would be "sad if that was your last match on Centre Court," he replied, "I would be sad, but hopefully it’s not my last match on Centre Court. I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. I’m planning to come back definitely at least one more time."

Djokovic says he’s planning to play Wimbledon at least one more time

"Would you be sad if that was your last match on Centre Court, to go off like that?"

Novak: “I would be sad, but hopefully it's not my last match on Centre Court. I'm not planning to finish my Wimbledon career… pic.twitter.com/v6lyd4M0G2
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 11, 2025

Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon 2025 as a seven‑time champion, having first lifted the trophy in 2011 and most recently in 2023.

At 38 years of age, he stood just one triumph away from equalling Roger Federer’s Open‑Era men’s record of eight Wimbledon singles titles.

Across his storied career, Djokovic has amassed a record 24 Grand Slam singles crowns, hoisted 40 ATP Masters 1000 trophies and held the ATP world No. 1 ranking for a record 428 weeks, finishing as year‑end No. 1 on eight occasions.

He is the only man in tennis history to complete a triple Career Grand Slam and to sweep all nine Masters events twice, and his haul of 100 career singles titles includes an Olympic gold medal from Paris 2024.

Yet even the most complete champions confront the limits of time.

In Thursday’s quarter‑final, Djokovic sustained a leg knock that troubled his movement throughout the semi‑final and ultimately hindered his ability to truly get back in the contest.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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