At 38, Novak Djokovic has not slowed down much. But retirement may be on the horizon for Serbian tennis stars.
Djokovic fell to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in straight sets in Friday’s thrilling semi-final match. After the match, Djokovic revealed that the matchup might have been that for him at Roland Garros.
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“This might have been my last game, I played here,” Djokovic said at a press conference. “So I was a little more emotional. But if this was a Roland Garros farewell match for me and my career, it was great in terms of atmosphere and what I got from the crowd.”
The sinner defeated Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) and completed the victory with a dramatic tiebreaker. Djokovic struggled at times during the match, but he was consistently in crowd support.
After a particularly impressive point in the second set, Djokovic rose to his side and chanted his name.
And once the sinners had finished their work, the crowd stood again at Djokovic as they left the court.
Djokovic has long cemented himself as one of the tennis greats, winning 24 Grand Slam titles throughout his career, including a record 10 at the Australian Open. Last year, Djokovic won his first Olympic gold at Roland Garos at the 2024 Parisiolim Games, completing his career golden slam.
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In the first half of the 2025 tournament, Djokovic won his 100th French Open victory, hitting a milestone that has yet to hit in other Grand Slams despite having the fewest titles in the Clay tournament. In addition to his gold medal, only three of Djokovic’s titles appeared at the French Open.
With Djokovic’s 100 wins, only Rafael Nadal has more wins at Roland Garos. Aptly known as “The King of Clay,” Nadal, who retired last year, was awarded at a ceremony ahead of this year’s French Open.
Nadal was accompanied by his three most legendary enemies, Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, at the ceremony. Of the four, Djokovic is still the only one active. Now it seems that might change soon.
