Prayers Pour In for Novak Djokovic After Carlos Alcaraz US Open Defeat Sparks Retirement Talk: “Heartbreaking”

“In a way, I wouldn’t be surprised if he stopped. But I would be surprised if he tried to go one more year. That would be my bet,” John McEnroe voiced amidst the cheers at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, speculating about Novak Djokovic’s future in tennis. Once again, this has become the subject of debate. After his straight-set semifinal loss to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 US Open, the NYC crowd still roared in support of the 38-year-old. Djokovic’s slower reactions and visible drop in energy during the third set only fueled opinions, leaving fans questioning whether age has finally caught up with the Serbian legend.

During the post-match press conference, a reporter pointed out that every single player except two – Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner – would be envious of Djokovic’s performance this year. But does this satiate the Serbian? Djokovic replied, “I think you are right!” He admitted that he had lost three out of four Grand Slam semifinals against Alcaraz and Sinner. The top two seeds are simply formidable even at their worst, and Djokovic knows it really well.

He then proceeded to reflect on his decreasing effeciency with age in the third round against Alcaraz. He confessed, “Best of five makes it very very difficult for me to play them. Particularly at the end stages of Grand Slams.” However, he’s not giving up just yet. Novak Djokovic still has a glimmer of hope in his eyes. He stated, “Having said that, I’m going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals, to fight for the trophy, at least, but it’s going to be a very difficult task.” Well, it seems like John McEnroe was right all along. We will get to see Djokovic for possibly one more season. 

And it will be just like when he began in the sport. Novak Djokovic began by trailing behind Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. And now, he is about to end his tennis career as the third-best player in the world, right after Sinner and Alcaraz. But how are fans reacting to the possibility of his retirement? 

It didn’t take long for Djokovic’s comments to propel X into a war of words. And as soon as that happened, the world took to the comments section to reveal its thoughts. 

Fans’ take on Novak Djokovic’s retirement talks following US Open semifinal loss

Of course, not many netizens were happy to think about Djokovic’s ultimate retirement. But watching the Serbian get tired and lose his breath against the world number two was even more heartbreaking. One fan highlighted this and wrote, “He looked tired, like he knew he didn’t have a chance. Heartbreaking for me to say, but these two guys may be too much.” Another fan backed the comment and wrote, “Hard not to feel for Djokovic in this purgatory….He’s legit the third-best player in the world – still too good to walk away… But the two guys ahead of him are just too young /physical/ tough… What’s the 38-year-old unrivaled champion to do?”

Meanwhile, many others seemed to understand the real reason why Djokovic seemed reluctant about retirement. And that’s mostly because he’s been active for a long while, with tennis being the most important part of his life. One fan commented, “He has known for sometime that he is close to the end and is not ready for it. The other 2 were not either. When you live and breathe tennis, for some many Years,it’s hard to put the racket away. I’m not a fan, but I get it.” Another fan put all the blame on his age. The comment read, “At his peak or even 4-5 years ago, he would have beaten both. It’s just age. Sampras retired at 34, and that used to be considered too late for professional tennis players. He has gone beyond that. Still goat.”

Nevertheless, people seemed to support Novak Djokovic in every decision of his. One fan wrote, “He definitely deserves the right to do whatever he wants. He’s healthy and is beating 95% of the guys on tour. He’s doing it for the love of sport now 🙌.” But people still want to watch the Serbian dominate the court. One comment read, “I want him to keep trying until he just can’t try anymore, and it sounds like he’s going to do just that. My GOAT!”

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