Novak Djokovic admitted reality was beginning to bite after the Serb was unable to bridge a 15-year age gap in a Wimbledon semi-final drubbing against Italian Jannik Sinner on Friday.
One of the many milestones he was attempting to etch on his record-shredding list of achievements at his 20th Wimbledon was to become the oldest player to win a Grand Slam singles title.
However, at the age of 38, even a player who has so often looked superhuman in collecting 24 Grand Slam titles looked his age in a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 defeat.
Photo: AFP
Admittedly, he said he was less than fully fit after a late fall against Flavio Cobolli in his previous match.
However, even without the battle scars of a long and hot fortnight, he would surely have been overwhelmed by the relentless power and accuracy of 23-year-old Sinner’s game.
“Honestly, wasn’t really a pleasant feeling on the court. I don’t want to talk in details about my injury and just whine about not managing to play my best,” the seven-time Wimbledon champion told reporters. “I want to congratulate Jannik for a great performance. He’s in the finals. He was too strong.”
Djokovic is the last man standing of the Big Four after the retirements of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray, and he has flown the flag for the old guard in admirable fashion, reaching the semi-finals of every Grand Slam event this year.
RETIRED HURT
The Serb retired hurt against Alexander Zverev in Australia, lost to Sinner in straight sets in Paris and was dealt an even more resounding defeat by the Italian on Friday.
He also reached the past two Wimbledon finals, falling short against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz on both occasions.
However, his last Grand Slam glory was in 2023, when he triumphed at Melbourne Park, Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows, and he said he knows the clock is ticking ever more loudly.
“It’s just age, the wear and tear of the body. As much as I’m taking care of it, the reality hits me right now, last year and a half, like never before, to be honest,” said Djokovic, whose only successes over the past 18 months have been Olympic gold in Paris and a low-key title in Geneva in May.
“These guys are fit, young, sharp. I feel like I’m going into the match with a tank half empty. It’s just not possible to win a match like that. It’s one of these things I accept and embrace in some way, deal with the reality the way it is, and try to make the most out of it,” he said.
Cheers of Nole Nole resounded around Centre Court as he tried to stay alive against Sinner, and his diehard fans would be reassured that he intends to continue.
“Hopefully it’s not my last match on the Centre Court. I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today,” he said.
“So I’m planning to come back definitely at least one more time, play on the Centre Court for sure,” he added.
“Right now I’m so fresh off the court, it’s hard to put things in a larger perspective and say what the plan is for the next few months or a year. I still feel like I continue to play my best tennis at Grand Slams. Those are the tournaments that I care about at this stage of my career the most,” he said.
NEW DUOPOLY
Asked about the duopoly developing between Alcaraz and Sinner, who have shared all the Grand Slam titles since his 2023 win in New York, Djokovic said: “I think the anticipation for this final is big. They’re definitely several levels above everyone right now.”
The 2025 International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Mr Universe Chinese Taipei competition began yesterday at Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, with more than 150 athletes showcasing their physiques. It is the first time in 16 years that the IFBB has held a competition in Taiwan, the last being the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung. The professional bodybuilding contest is bringing together athletes from Taiwan and 16 other countries, including Malaysia, Japan, the US, France and Mexico. IFBB Chinese Taipei president Hsu An-chin said in an interview yesterday that the event came to Taiwan thanks to his lobbying efforts at last
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Cycling great Marianne Vos won the opening stage of the women’s Tour de France with a brilliant late attack on Saturday. The 38-year-old Dutchwoman overtook her Visma–Lease a Bike teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prevot approaching the line, and then held off Mauritian rider Kim Le Court in the closing meters of a grueling uphill finish. Ferrand-Prevot looked set to win the stage, but the Frenchwoman attacked too early from 600m and could not withstand the late surge from Vos, who punched the air with her left fist as she crossed the line. Moments later, Vos hugged an exhausted-looking Ferrand-Prevot, the Paris-Roubaix winner. “I didn’t know if
TAIWANESE EXITS: Fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell joined Tristan Schoolkate as a winner following his 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Tseng Hsin-chun Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate on Monday dispatched rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the ATP Toronto Masters, ensuring a breakthrough into the world top 100. The 24-year-old from Perth moved to 98th in the ongoing live rankings as he claimed his biggest career victory by knocking out the ATP NextGen champion from November last year. Schoolkate, son of a tennis coach, won his first match over a top-50 opponent on his sixth attempt as he ousted the world No. 49 teenager from Brazil. The qualifier played a quarter-final this month in Los Cabos and won through qualifying for his
RSS