Boris Becker Hopes Novak Djokovic Will Return to Roland Garros After Semi-Final Defeat to Jannik Sinner

Novak Djokovic looked a bit emotional after losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets in the semi-final of Roland Garros.

Boris Becker Hopes Novak Djokovic Will Return to Roland Garros After Semi-Final Defeat to Jannik Sinner

Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Boris Becker (via X/The Tennis Letter/BBC)

Novak Djokovic’s run at the French Open came to an end after he fell to a straight-set defeat against Jannik Sinner in the semi-final. The Serbian legend played some dazzling tennis, particularly in the second and third sets, but it wasn’t enough against the World No.1. Tennis legend Boris Becker stated that he hopes Djokovic will return to the French Open.

Three-time Roland Garros champion, Djokovic, kissed the clay court after losing to Sinner and then made his way to the center of Court Philippe-Chatrier to offer his gratitude and respect to the Parisian crowd for their support during the tie. It was the first time in a long while that Djokovic was a bit emotional after leaving Roland Garros.

The 38-year-old was bidding for his 25th Grand Slam at the French Open, but his poor run of form in the lead-up to the tournament had left him seeded sixth at the tournament. That left him vulnerable to meeting the top seeds pretty ahead of the final rounds of the French Open. However, he did well to beat Alexander Zverev in four sets in the quarter-finals.

But in the semi-final, Djokovic fought hard for more than three hours, showing flashes of himself at his vintage best, but it wasn’t enough to dethrone the Italian star. The 24-time Grand Slam winner will rue letting three-set points slip in the third set when he was 5-4 up against Sinner. He ended up losing 4-6, 5-7, 6(3)-7 against the World No.1.

Speaking after the match, Boris Becker revealed on TNT Sports that he would like to see the former World No.1 play at the French Open next year. He added that despite his loss to Sinner he still remains a force to be reckoned with in the men’s circuit:

I would like Djokovic to come back to the French Open. He has to get through the year well now, but it could always be the last time for him. For me, it was a test for Wimbledon. Novak’s serve was good, as was his volley. His match fitness was also good. He did everything right. It’s okay that Djokovic lost today – but Novak is still a force to be reckoned with.

Djokovic has not won a Grand Slam title since winning the 2023 US Open. And now, following his run at the French Open he will be back into the Top 5 of the ATP rankings as Taylor Fritz fell from No.4 to No.7, which will see Jack Draper climb to No.4 and Djokovic to No.5 when the rankings are updated next week.

Novak Djokovic is proud of his run at the 2025 Roland Garros

Novak Djokovic began the clay season poorly, losing his two opening-round matches in Monte Carlo and Madrid. The Serbian then withdrew from the Italian Open, opting to play at the Geneva Open, where he claimed his 100th career title after beating Hubert Hurkacz in the final. He continued with his Geneva form at the Roland Garros and did well to reach the semi-finals.

Novak Djokovic (2)
Novak Djokovic (Image via X/We Are Tennis France)

After his loss to Jannik Sinner, the Serb revealed that he was proud of his run at the Roland Garros considering his form before the event. He also pointed out that he made the task for the Italian star very difficult during their semi-final clash:

[It] was a straight-set loss, but I feel like I did give him a run for his money, so to say. I tried to make him work till the last shot. I did what I could. This is sport. You have to just shake the hand of the better player and move on. I must say that I was proud of my effort tonight [and] in this tournament, considering I wasn’t in great form coming into Roland Garros, but he was just too good for me tonight.

Djokovic will now look to bounce back at the Wimbledon Championship, which starts on June 30. The Serbian has won the grass-court Grand Slam seven times in his career and finished as runners-up in the last two editions of the tournament.

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