With tears filling his eyes and his body failing beneath him, you couldn’t help but feel Sunday’s US Open defeat marked a pivotal moment in Novak Djokovic’s career.
The first-round defeat to Mariano Navone was not only Djokovic’s worst grand slam result in 20 years, but also one of the few times the Serbian looked vulnerable on a tennis court. His step no longer looked assured, his body appeared stiff and his warrior mentality finally breached.
This defeat felt different; it felt more final.
It’s important to remember that only seven months ago, the 24-time grand slam champion was playing in the Australian Open final. The 39-year-old was busy defying the odds and seemed the only man capable of laying a glove on the new generation of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Reaching the semifinal at Wimbledon in July also gave Djokovic hope of one day winning that record-breaking 25th major singles title.
Now, though, achieving that goal looks as unlikely as ever.
In truth, Djokovic is no longer a full-time player on tour. He saves himself for the grand slam tournaments, occasionally using other competitions as warm-ups. This tailored approach has allowed him to manage his body as he’s gotten older, but not even he looks capable of battling against his latest challenge.
Earlier this month, the Serb said he had been battling an underlying health issue for a while, something that is exacerbated by playing in hot and humid conditions. That issue raised its head again in his latest defeat, with Djokovic seen vomiting between points and barely being able to move by the end of the match.
The tears in the final set were surely a sign that Djokovic felt Father Time was finally catching up with him – that his body was finally unable to keep performing.
“I didn’t enjoy myself,” Djokovic said afterward. “I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me.”
“It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year: vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there.
“Then my whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain. Yeah, the back just gave up in the end and shoulder.”
Djokovic left the US Open saying he needed time to think about his future in the sport – whether he could keep putting his body through the pain. After those scenes on Sunday, how could he not be thinking about retirement?
But Djokovic has previously said he wants to keep playing until the LA Olympics in 2028, hanging his racket up after representing his country one more time. That dream might look far-fetched to many watching this weekend, but be careful when doubting Djokovic.
Time and time again, the veteran has proven people wrong. In 2017, he struggled with an elbow injury and some wondered if he would ever return to his best. In 2018, he won two out of the four grand slams.
In recent seasons, the retirement narrative has followed him around like a bad spell. Every start of a new year is supposedly the beginning of the end for him as a player, every defeat seen as the last opportunity to clinch another major trophy.
But Djokovic has continued to plug away, seemingly adapting his game as he ages and rolling back the years to win matches that silence the critics – notably a five-set thriller against Sinner at the Australian Open at the start of the year.
But the truth is that Djokovic hasn’t won a grand slam title since 2023 and that should be a surprise to absolutely no one. The Serb’s once-great rivals Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal both won their last majors at 36, and the demands of the game are now so physical that Djokovic would need a lot of fortune if he’s ever going to challenge the new generation again.
Messi and Djokovic face the twilight of their illustrious careers
Messi and Djokovic face the twilight of their illustrious careers
3:21
So while his painful defeat on Sunday might prove to be yet another false flag, it’s surely more likely that it’s finally the beginning of the end for him. The expression on his face as he tried to muster up some sort of challenge certainly made it feel that way. Djokovic has always been in control on court, a master of his surroundings. This time, he looked defeated and maybe he realized that too for the first time.
Whatever happens in the next few months, Djokovic will still go down as arguably the greatest tennis player in history and he won’t be the last champion to hold onto the sport for a touch too long.
Perhaps reframing what he defines as success would help him continue for another year or two, but whether the champion would be happy with that is another question entirely.