Novak Djokovic now 37 years old, appears to be nearing the twilight of his illustrious tennis career. Following a crushing defeat in the second round of the Madrid Open the Serbian star hinted that this might have been his final appearance at the tournament.
On Saturday, Djokovic a three-time Madrid Open champion was convincingly beaten by Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi. The fourth seed lost 6–3, 6–4 and afterward admitted he’s unsure whether he’ll return to the event in the future.
Djokovic who is still in pursuit of his 100th ATP title, had previously suffered an unexpected loss at the Miami Open in March. Earlier this month, he also exited in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters. All three of his recent defeats came in straight sets—an unusual streak for someone of his caliber. “Of course it doesn’t feel good to lose like this,” he acknowledged. “But this year I’ve had a few experiences where I unfortunately lost in the very first round.”
Still Djokovic tried to find some positives in his Madrid performance. “I enjoyed myself more here than in Monte Carlo or some other tournaments,” he said. “But my tennis is not where it needs to be. That’s just the truth. I lost to a better player.”
Despite winning three of the four major titles in 2023 Djokovic has struggled to maintain that dominant form in 2024. Rising stars like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have since taken over the spotlight. Djokovic is fully aware of the shift: “This is a new reality for me, and I have to acknowledge it,” he said. “Now I’m fighting to win matches, not thinking about going deep into tournaments.”
“It’s a completely different feeling compared to the past 20 years of my career. Mentally, it’s become a challenge when you’re exiting tournaments so early,” he admitted. “But that’s the cycle of life and of a sporting career — eventually, it was bound to happen.”
UA / TDS
