‘This could have been the last match ever’: Novak Djokovic drops massive retirement hint

The 38-year-old Serbian, after a gutsy performance that included a stunning quarter-final win over Alexander Zverev, stopped on his way off court, set down his bags, and waved goodbye to the fans — a gesture that hinted at the possibility of his final appearance at Roland Garros.

In the post-match press conference, Djokovic admitted,

“This could have been the last match ever I played here, so I don’t know. That’s why I was a bit more emotional even in the end.”

“If this was the farewell match of the Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd.

While expressing his wish to continue playing, Djokovic acknowledged uncertainty about his future:

“Do I wish to play more? Yes… But will I be able to return in 12 months? I don’t know.”

Reflecting on the match, Djokovic praised Sinner, saying,

 “[It] was a straight-set loss, but I feel like I did give him a run for his money, so to say. I tried to make him work till the last shot. I did what I could. This is sport. You have to just shake the hand of the better player and move on.”

“I must say that I was proud of my effort tonight [and] in this tournament, considering I wasn’t in great form coming into Roland Garros, but he was just too good for me tonight.

“Jannik is the kind of player who loves to play [at a] very fast pace the entire match. He’s very physical. He’s very fit, and he’s striking the ball incredibly well. He seems to always be on good timing. Rarely he’s off-balance, and he’s just playing the tennis of his life. Wherever you play him, whatever surface, you know that you’re going to get that fast pace the entire time, which for me I don’t mind necessarily so much, because it makes me alert from the very beginning,” he added.

Jannik Sinner now advances to the final, where he will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the other semi-final.