Novak Djokovic is giving it his all, but even the Serb knows it doesn’t always go his way. Currently competing at the exhibition Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, he just came off yet another loss to Jannik Sinner in the semis. Still not out of the game, he faced Taylor Fritz for the second time since the US Open, ready to grab another win. This time, though, no points, rankings, or head-to-heads were on the line. Both semifinalists came out firing, but things took an unfortunate turn for Nole.

On Saturday, the Serbian maestro emptied the tank in a grueling first set that stretched to 75 minutes. He dropped it in a tiebreak, 7-4, but couldn’t continue. Djokovic appeared to pull up with a left leg issue and decided it wasn’t worth pushing through in the slow conditions. He retired mid-match, ending things early.

After shaking hands at the net, the 24-time Grand Slam champion addressed the crowd. “I want to apologise to everybody, sorry guys, I’m sorry you couldn’t see the second set,” Novak Djokovic said. “But credit to Taylor (laughs), I mean, we had some incredible games towards the end of that set, and it was one of the longest sets I’ve ever played, to be honest.”

With that, Fritz secured third place at the Six Kings Slam, a strong finish that keeps his name buzzing. Prize details are still under wraps, but his appearance alone guaranteed him a cool $1.5 million. Not bad for a day’s work. Still, the headline moment came at Novak’s expense. If these matches counted toward official tour head-to-heads, Fritz would have snapped an 11-0 streak against the Serbian legend.

Still, while the Six Kings Slam didn’t go Nole’s way, he was appreciative of the reception in Saudi Arabia. As he added, “Thank you all for treating me so well, I hope to return next year. Now I have to rest and address some issues I’m having with my body. I hope I can play the last tournaments of the season”

On the ATP front, Djokovic’s spot at the 2025 Finals in Turin is already locked in. But this setback casts a shadow on what should’ve been a steady march toward year-end glory. The 38-year-old owns Turin titles from 2022 and 2023, though he hasn’t confirmed much of his upcoming schedule. For now, his only official stop before the finish line is the Athens ATP 250.

Additionally, this injury has been a concern since the Shanghai Masters. During his round of 16 match against Jaume Munar, Nole seemed to be struggling with his ankle. While he won that match, he suffered a defeat in the semifinals against the eventual champion Valentin Vacherot. However, even before the exhibition in Riyadh, he gave a concerning update on his form.

Novak Djokovic’s injury update that raised doubts before the Six Kings Slam

Before arriving in Riyadh, he was spotted in Belgrade cheering for Red Star Belgrade when a reporter stopped him with a question: “Tell me about the injury and how are you?” Djokovic offered a brief but telling response, “Well, there are all kinds of things, but we are pushing hard, we push.” Not the most comforting update from the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

It’s clear he never said he was fine, which makes his situation a bit uncertain. He seems determined to push through and just manage to play in Riyadh. If things go smoothly without an unexpected flare-up, fans might still see him wield the racket as planned.

After his opening clash with defending champion Jannik Sinner, Djokovic touched on a much bigger topic: Retirement. Yet his perspective was refreshingly positive. “Longevity is one of my biggest motivations. I really want to see how far I can go,” he told Riyadh Season. “If you see across all the global sports, LeBron James he is still going strong, he is 40, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady played until he was 40-something years old, it is unbelievable.”

“They are inspiring me,” he added with conviction. “In the next couple of years, tennis is a sport that can be greatly transformed, and I want to be part of that change. I want to be playing when we rejuvenate our sport and set the new platform that is going to go on for decades to come.” 

For now, he just needs time to rest and recover before heading to the 2025 Athens Open alongside Stefanos Tsitsipas. The question is, will he hit the court in full form again?