Novak Djokovic Breaks Silence on Retirement Talks After John McEnroe Made Final Verdict During Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic’s run for a historic 25th Grand Slam ended in the Wimbledon semifinals with a straight-sets defeat to Jannik Sinner. The seven-time Centre Court champion fought through pain from a “nasty fall” in his quarterfinal against Flavio Cobolli, but the injury clearly lingered—he was seen limping after the first set. ATP legend John McEnroe voiced concern from the commentary box as Djokovic, 38, struggled to find his rhythm.

McEnroe didn’t hold back as he watched Djokovic try to keep up with Sinner’s relentless play. On BBC, McEnroe said, “We’re going to pay our respects obviously for the great Novak Djokovic, who battled despite being somewhat limited. He’s going to have a lot of thinking to do over the course of the next month or so.”

As the Centre Court crowd roared, McEnroe paused, then dropped a bombshell: “It’s the first time ever I’ve looked at him and thought ‘I’m not sure if he’s going to come back’. That’s obviously a decision that’s up to him and he can play for as long as he wants. I don’t know if he can accept being a notch or two below these guys.” Pointing to Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Novak Djokovic in the last two Wimbledon finals, and Sinner, who now leads their head-to-head 6-4.

The match was a tough one for Djokovic. He managed to win 10 games but couldn’t break Sinner’s momentum. The Italian took the match in straight sets (6-3, 6-3, 6-4), ending Djokovic’s 2025 Wimbledon campaign. When asked if this could be his last Wimbledon match, Novak was honest. “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, play on the Centre Court for sure. 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,” he told the press after.

Not to mention, Djokovic’s injury worries started even before the match. He canceled his scheduled practice at Aorangi Park, raising questions about his fitness. By early evening, he hadn’t rescheduled, fueling speculation about whether he was ready for the semifinal test. Maybe he just needed more time to get back on his feet.

Still, now that the Serb reassured that this isn’t his final act at SW19, the rumors can take a backseat. He promised to return—and maybe, just maybe, he’ll chase that elusive eighth title and meet Roger Federer with an eighth title here? Until then, we can hope he comes back stronger for the hard-court season!

But this isn’t the first time Novak has sparked retirement talk. As the last of the Big Three still standing, he’s faced these questions all season, especially after his straight-sets loss to Jannik at the French Open. “This could have been the last match ever, I played here – I don’t know. That’s why it was a bit more emotional at the end,” he confessed in a post-match interview. Still, rest assured, he doesn’t plan on leaving yet. Although he’s kept it real about his age catching up this season.

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Al way .You cannot play with Father time. Go while the going is good know your limit. Listening...more

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Novak Djokovic opens up about his body “failing” him

Back in January at the Australian Open, the Serb faced Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals and pushed through some clear physical issues. He managed to reach the semifinals against Alexander Zverev, but the challenge proved too much. Nole dropped the first set 7-6(5) and then suffered a muscle tear that made things worse. Realizing he couldn’t go on, Djokovic retired, handing the match to the German. The moment stunned the crowd, but Djokovic opened up about his future, saying, “This is probably the new reality I have to accept—that my body will probably betray me more often than it has throughout my entire career.”

This wasn’t the first time recent injuries forced him out of a major. Last year at the French Open, he tore the medial meniscus in his right knee and had to withdraw despite making the quarterfinals. Djokovic admitted, “How much I’ll be able to put up with that and endure that, I honestly don’t know now. Let’s see what happens this season. Here in Melbourne, it could have been better, but it could have been worse. I’m still a bit hot-headed, but there are certainly a lot of positives to take away from this tournament.”

After Melbourne, things didn’t get easier. Novak Djokovic made it to his first final of the 2025 season at the Miami Open, aiming for his 100th title. But an eye infection threw him off. Fans saw him using eye drops during changeovers against Jakub Mensik, but the pain was too much, and the title slipped away.

He finally reached the 100-title milestone at the Geneva Open, just before Roland Garros. Still, the question remains—when, or if, he’ll capture that elusive 25th Grand Slam. The suspense is real.

Now, as Wimbledon heads into its final days with Jannik Sinner set to face Carlos Alcaraz in the Sunday final, all eyes are still on Djokovic. Can he bounce back for another Grand Slam run? Stay tuned and follow all the action on our Wimbledon Live Blog!