Novak Djokovic Drops Huge Retirement Hint After Australian Open Heartbreak: “May Not Return as Player”
Former World No.1 Novak Djokovic reached his first Grand Slam final since the 2024 Wimbledon.
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Novak Djokovic (Image via X/Sky Sports Tennis)
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No one knows what will happen in the future and neither does Novak Djokovic. He will turn 39 this May and his chances of reaching another Grand Slam final look slim.
On Sunday (February 1), Djokovic met Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final but failed to end the match in his favor, losing in four sets. En route to the championship clash, he eliminated two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner, spoiling his three-peat goal.
After his defeat in the final, the 24-time Grand Slam was full of gratitude for the crowd’s support during his runner-up speech during which he also dropped retirement hint, saying he doesn’t know if he’ll be back for next year’s Melbourne Slam. At the press conference as well, he expressed uncertainty about his career.
I don’t know. I don’t know if I’ll ever see this crowd again or not. That’s why I haven’t ruled out any possibility. You’ve known me for a long time: I don’t pretend, I don’t act. I say things as they are. I meant exactly what I said — the crowd gave me unforgettable emotions in the last two matches, emotions that, put together, I believe I’ve never felt here before.
Novak Djokovic said at the press conference
Djokovic also lost the final in Melbourne for the first time. The win helped Alcaraz improve his head-to-head record to 5-5. It was also Alcaraz’s second consecutive win over the Serb as he defeated Djokovic in the semifinal of last year’s Australian Open.
And I’m deeply grateful to have finally experienced them. I think I deserve them, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I will return to Australia, but whether it will be as a player or not remains to be seen. We’ll see later.
Novak Djokovic added
The win also made Alcaraz, 22, the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam. He surpassed Rafael Nadal‘s record who achieved this at 24 after defeating Djokovic in the 2010 US Open final.
Novak Djokovic lauds Carlos Alcaraz for his constant improvement of his game
Carlos Alcaraz has become the sixth man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam. Before this season, Alcaraz had never played the semifinals in Melbourne, losing twice the quarterfinals stage. It was Novak Djokovic who knocked him out in the last eight last year. Djokovic only lavished praise on Alcaraz at the press conference.
I mean, he’s constantly looking to innovate himself and his game, which is exactly the kind of mentality that needs to be nurtured for a champion. But, of course, a lot has changed since then. You know, he has improved physically, mentally, game-wise. You know, it’s never enough in terms of settling with your game. You have to progress. Otherwise, you regress because everyone else progresses.
Alcaraz withdrew from the Rotterdam Open where last year, he defeated Alex de Minaur to win his career’s first indoor hard-court title. En route to defeating Djokovic in the Melbourne Slam, Alcaraz featured in Australian Open’s longest semifinal match. He knocked out last year’s runner-up Alexander Zverev in five sets after five hours and 27 minutes.
The Murcia native also played his fourth consecutive Grand Slam final. Last year, he made the title clashes of the French Open, US Open, and Wimbledon. Alcaraz lost only at SW19 to Jannik Sinner, failing to complete the three-peat of the grass-court Major.
He defended his French Open title after a marathon final against the four-time Grand Slam champion. Alcaraz, in fact, won eight titles from 11 finals last year. He also made the title clash of the ATP Finals which he lost to Sinner.
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