Novak Djokovic Makes Startling Retirement Comment After Loss to Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros

Novak Djokovic is at a career crossroads after his impressive Roland Garros run came to an end against Jannik Sinner. The 38-year-old was seeking his 25th Grand Slam at the tournament but ended up exiting after the semi-finals. He has now revealed how long he will compete on tour before retiring.

Djokovic has not won any major title since claiming the 2023 US Open. He has only managed to reach the 2024 Wimbledon Championship final since then. Before arriving for the Roland Garros, he was on a run of poor form, having lost two consecutive opening tournament matches, and then withdrew from the Italian Open.

However, he opted to play at the Geneva Open, where he claimed his 100th tour-level title to become the third men’s player in the Open Era to reach the milestone. He continued with the form at the French Open, winning four consecutive matches without dropping a set. He finally dropped his first set in the quarter-finals against Alexander Zverev, but came from behind to beat the German star in four sets.

He reached the semi-finals and faced a near-flawless Sinner and as expected couldn’t get past the Italian star. Though he played some good tennis, particularly in the second and third sets, the World No.1 just had a reply to every trick he tried to use. For Djokovic, the loss revealed that despite his experience, it will be increasingly challenging to compete against the younger generation in Grand Slam events.

During an interview with Sportklub, he was asked about the incessant questions surrounding when he will finally hang up his racket. The 38-year-old revealed that he will retire if he doesn’t win any Slams for two years:

If I don’t win a Grand Slam title in a year and a half or two, I will wonder if it’s worth continuing to compete.

This seemingly means Djokovic is not leaving the men’s circuit anytime soon. Also, it means he might retire in 2027, a year before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He has, on previous occasions, revealed that he might participate in the event after claiming his first gold medal in Paris last year.

Novak Djokovic says his best chance of winning his 25th Grand Slam will be at Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic has won the Wimbledon Championship seven times in his career and reached the final last year. He’s now aiming to win the grass-court Grand Slam for the eighth time in his career, which will make him the most successful winner of the title, toppling Roger Federer, who won seven before he retired in 2022.