Novak Djokovic acknowledged the challenges posed by his aging body after a decisive loss to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals on Friday.
A month after falling to Sinner in straight sets at the French Open, Djokovic suffered an even more lopsided 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 defeat. The 38-year-old appeared fatigued throughout the match and took a medical timeout after the second set.
“It’s not about bad luck,” Djokovic said. “It’s age, the toll on the body. No matter how much I try to maintain it, the reality is hitting me harder now, especially over the past year and a half.”
“Accepting it is difficult because when I’m fresh and fit, my tennis remains strong. I’ve shown that this year. But playing best-of-five matches has become a real physical challenge. The further I go in a tournament, the tougher it gets. I’ve made the semifinals in every major this year, but facing Sinner or [Carlos] Alcaraz at this stage is demanding. They’re young, fast, and at their peak, while I feel depleted even before stepping on the court. Under these conditions, winning is nearly impossible.”
“That’s the reality, and I have to accept it. I’ll do my best to adapt and continue competing.”
Despite the setback, Djokovic does not believe this was his final Wimbledon appearance and intends to return next year. “I hope this isn’t my last match on Centre Court,” he said. “I’m not ending my Wimbledon journey today—I plan to be back at least once more.”
For Sinner, the win secures his place in a fourth consecutive major final. After a narrow five-set loss to Alcaraz at the French Open, he has bounced back strongly and will have another opportunity to claim a Grand Slam title on Sunday.
Alcaraz earned his spot in the final with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory over fifth-seeded Taylor Fritz. With this result, Sinner and Alcaraz have now shared the last seven Grand Slam titles, further widening the gap between them and the rest of the field.
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