Was That Djokovic’s Goodbye To The French Open?

Before Novak Djokovic left the court after his French Open semi-final defeat, he put his racquet bags down on the clay and said a heartfelt goodbye to the Paris crowd.

He bent to touch the clay on Court Philippe Chatrier before holding his hand to his heart and waving to the crowd.

It felt like a final farewell for a player who turned 38 last month.

Or will it prove to be ‘au revoir’ until they meet again next year?

Three-time champion Djokovic, who lost a tight battle with world number one Jannik Sinner in straight sets, is unsure if he will return.

“This could have been the last match ever I played here – I don’t know. That’s why it was a bit more emotional at the end,” said Djokovic.

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“But if this was the farewell match of Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd.”

Djokovic was given huge vocal support as he tried to move a step closer to a standalone record 25th major title.

The Serb was also aiming for another record – victory in Sunday’s final would have made him the oldest Grand Slam men’s singles champion.

But he could not break down the steely resistance of top seed Sinner, who won 6-4 7-5 7-6 (7-3) to set up a final against second seed Carlos Alcaraz.

Pressed about how his future could look, Djokovic said: “I don’t know right now. Twelve months at this point in my career is quite a long time.

“Do I wish to play more? Yes, I do. But will I be able to play in 12 months’ time here again? I don’t know.

“That’s all I can say for the moment.”

Wimbledon and US Open in plans – but rest ‘not so sure’

A patchy season by Djokovic’s lofty standards led to questions about his stamina and motivation coming into Roland Garros.

The departure of rival-turned-coach Andy Murray also indicated things were not functioning as hoped, although he did warm up by winning his 100th ATP title at the Geneva Open.

Djokovic’s performance against Sinner showed he is not ready to roll over into retirement just yet – and emphasised why he prioritises the four majors in the latter stages of his career.

“Those tournaments are the priorities of my schedule,” Djokovic said.

“Wimbledon and US Open, yes, they are in plans. That’s all I can say right now.

“I feel like I want to play those two, for sure. For the rest, I’m not so sure.”

Djokovic will be bidding for a record-equalling eighth men’s singles title at Wimbledon, having lost the past two finals there to Alcaraz.

“Wimbledon is my childhood favourite tournament. I’m going to do everything possible to get myself ready,” he added.

“I guess my best chances maybe are Wimbledon, you know, to win another Slam or maybe Australia.”

Djokovic still playing ‘high-level’ tennis

The end is clearly in sight for Djokovic, who has played 1,375 matches since turning professional in 2004.

But his trademark fight and fitness helped him stay within touching distance of 23-year-old Sinner, who has dominated the ATP Tour over the past 18 months.

“I was proud of my effort tonight in this tournament, considering I wasn’t in great form coming into Roland Garros,” he said.

“Jannik was just too good for me.”

The pair went toe-to-toe in an absorbing contest lasting over three hours in which both men pushed each other to their limits.

Afterwards Sinner, who has won his past 20 Grand Slam matches, described Djokovic’s level as “amazing”.

“I had to step up and play the best tennis I could,” the Italian added.

“It shows again what a role model for all of us, especially for young players.

“What he is doing is incredible. We are so lucky to see him play high-level tennis.”

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