Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Djokovic hints at retirement amid shock form slump
SEN • April 28th, 2025 1:32 pm
Seething from a second consecutive first round defeat, Novak Djokovic has dropped a retirement bombshell.
The Serbian, who has not won a tournament since claiming gold at the Paris Olympics last July, says he is facing up to “a new reality” after being ousted in the opening stage of the Madrid Masters 6-3 6-4 by Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi.
Djokovic also lost in the first round at the Monte Carlo Masters earlier this month.
It’s a rare and surprising dip in form from the 24-time Grand Slam winner who has lost four finals since the Olympic Games and remains one title away from the 100 club.
Asked if was likely the last time he would play on clay in the Spanish capital, Djokovic said: “It could be, it could be. I’m not sure if I will come back. So, I don’t know, I don’t know what to say.
“I mean, I’ll come back, maybe not as a player. I hope it’s not, but it could be.
“I was hoping I can play one more match than I played in Monte Carlo. It’s kind of a new reality for me, I have to say, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament.
“It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis. It’s a challenge for me mentally to really face these kinds of sensations on the court, going out early now, regularly, in tournaments.
“That’s the circle of life in this career.”
Should Djokovic finally win the elusive 100th career title he would become one of only three players - Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) - to achieve the remarkable milestone.
