"It’s tough to accept.. Alcaraz & Sinner are fit, young" - Novak Djokovic gets emotional as reality of aging sets in after Wimbledon exit

Novak Djokovic turned emotional during his post-match press conference in the aftermath of his chastening, straight-set loss to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. The Serb brought up Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz's dominance in contemporary men's tennis, and how his own age is rendering him unable to compete with the Italian and the Spaniard.

The former No. 1 and 24-time Major champion was simply no match for the reigning No. 1's firepower on Friday, July 11. The pace and precision of Sinner's shots dominated proceedings, with the Serb only being able to conjure up a brief moment of hope for his own chances in the beginning of the third set, as he established a 3-0 lead. The Italian though, didn't take long to overturn the deficit.

Following his 3-6, 3-6, 4-6 defeat, Novak Djokovic emotionally admitted that at 38 years old, he is struggling to keep up with the demands of Grand Slam tennis.

"I don’t think it’s bad fortune. 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 the last year and a half like never before to be honest. It’s tough for me to accept that because I feel like when I’m fresh and fit I can still play very good tennis. I’ve proven that this year. Playing best of 5 particularly this year has been a real struggle for me physically," the Serb said.

Djokovic went on to shed light on what's like for him to lock horns with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner these days. The Spaniard, 22, and the Italian, 23, have made it a habit of mustering deep runs at tournaments. For the Serb, this has meant eventually facing either of them if he musters deep runs of his own.

"The longer the tournament goes the worse the condition gets. I reached the semis of every slam this year. I have to play Sinner or Alcaraz. These guys are fit, young, sharp. I feel like I’m going into the match with the tank half empty. It’s not possible to win the match like that. It is what it is. It’s one of those things you have to accept and embrace in some way. Deal with reality the way it is and try to make the most out of it," he added.

"Hopefully it's not my last match on Centre Court" - Novak Djokovic on Wimbledon future after crushing loss to Jannik Sinner

Novak Djokovic leaves Wimbledon's Centre Court after suffering a straight-set defeat at Jannik Sinner's hands (Source: Getty)

During the same press conference, the seven-time Wimbledon champion also assessed his future at the prestigious grass Major. He laid bare his hope of making "at least" another appearance at SW19, saying:

"I would be sad, but hopefully it's not my last match on Centre Court. I'm not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. I'm planning to come back definitely at least one more time."

The loss to Sinner marked the first time in three matches that the Serb fell to the Italian at the Wimbledon Championships. While Djokovic did manage to reach the final in both 2023 and 2024, on both occasions, he was downed by Carlos Alcaraz.