Following his semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon 2025, Novak Djokovic made it clear that his journey at the All England Club is far from over. The 38-year-old tennis legend assured fans and media alike, “I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. I’m planning to come back definitely – at least one more time.”
Djokovic’s 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 defeat on Centre Court to the top-ranked Sinner halted his quest to match Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles and secure a 25th Grand Slam victory. The match was challenging for Djokovic, who had suffered a “nasty” and “awkward” fall during his quarterfinal win earlier in the week. “I don’t want to delve into the specifics of my injury and complain about not playing my best,” Djokovic commented. “I am disappointed that I couldn’t move as well as I hoped.”
During the match, Djokovic received medical attention for his upper left leg before the third set. He managed to win the next three games and was on the verge of a 4-0 lead but eventually lost six of the last seven games. “We all saw, especially in the third set, that he was a bit injured,” observed Sinner, who is set to face No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
Prior to this tournament, Djokovic viewed Wimbledon as his best opportunity for another major title, his last being the 2023 U.S. Open. However, he faced setbacks at the 2024 Australian Open, losing to Sinner, and a knee injury forced him to withdraw from the French Open quarterfinals. At Wimbledon 2024, he was defeated by Alcaraz in the final, marking his sixth consecutive appearance in the tournament’s title match.
This year, Djokovic has reached the semifinals in all three majors, retiring due to a torn hamstring in Melbourne and losing to Sinner at both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. After his earliest Wimbledon exit since 2017, Djokovic acknowledged the crowd with a smile, a wave, and a thumbs-up.
When questioned about whether his injuries were a result of bad luck, Djokovic replied, “I don’t think it’s bad fortune. It’s just age – the wear and tear of the body. Despite my efforts to maintain it, reality has hit me hard over the last year and a half.” Nevertheless, he remains hopeful, stating, “It’s tough for me to accept that, because I feel like when I’m fresh, when I’m fit, I can still play really good tennis. I’ve proven that this year.”