Novak Djokovic hints at retirement after French Open defeat to Jannik Sinner
Novak Djokovic may have played his final match at the French Open.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was hoping to extend his record at Roland Garros this weekend with a trip to the men's singles final, but he lost to Jannik Sinner in straight sets Friday.
Djokovic, 38, appeared emotional as he collected his bags. He kissed his hand and touched the clay surface at Court Philippe-Chatrier. He then spoke about the match, signaling it may have been his last at the French Open.
"I mean, 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," he said.
"But 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."
Of the "Big Three," only Djokovic remains active — and dominant.
AMERICAN TENNIS STAR JESSICA PEGULA SLAMS 'ABSOLUTELY CRAZY' COMMENTS AFTER LOSING FRENCH OPEN MATCH"Do I wish to play more? Yes, I do. But will I be able to play here in 12 months time? I don't know," he added. "I said it could have been my last match (here). I didn't say it was."
Djokovic said he plans to compete at Wimbledon. Last year marked the first time in seven years the Serbian tennis pro failed to win a Grand Slam. His last win came in 2023 at the U.S. Open. His last win at Wimbledon was in 2022.
"I feel like I want to play Wimbledon. I want to play U.S. Open. Those two, for sure. For the rest, I'm not so sure," he said.
Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Valkyries' Rookie Janelle Salaün hits major WNBA milestone vs. Liberty
The post Valkyries' Rookie Janelle Salaün hits major WNBA milestone vs. Liberty appeared first on ClutchPoints. While the Golden State Valkyries came up short against the defending champion New York Liberty, Janelle Salaün played one of the best games in her young WNBA career so far. Advertisement The rookie from France collected her first WNBA double-double, leading the Valkyries with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Averaging 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds through four games this season, Salaün is emerging as one of the top rookies in the W. However, after the game, Salaün was more concerned about the 82-77 loss to the Liberty than her individual performance. 'We were a little bit satisfied by the way we fought. That was way better than the first game,' Salaün said when asked about the team's morale after the tight loss. 'We can see we're building, we're getting better, but [like I said] previously, it's tough. It's still a loss. We're all competitive people, and we're not going to be satisfied after that.' The Valkyries played much better after New York blew them out 95-67 early this week. After the offense was tough to come by in the first, Golden State bounced back with nine players scoring a made basket. But it wasn't enough as the Liberty's dynamic duo of Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu scored 27 and 24 points, respectively. Advertisement In the same press conference, she chimed in while Salaün was being hard on herself for her performance in the first Liberty loss. 'I want to give a shout-out to this one,' Billings said, smiling at Salaün. 'Being a rookie, it's not easy in this league. And she's just come in and really shined. And so, I'm really proud of you, don't be hard on yourself. You're killing.' Monique Billings, alongside Salaün, had a strong performance for the Valkyries. After missing the last two games, she muscled her way to 10 points and 7 rebounds off the bench. Salaün returned the compliments back to Billings. 'You're killing too. That was her first game back,' Salaün said, turning to the reporters. 'Did you see what she did? She was jumping out there. Flying. Big shout out to her, it's not easy in this league.' Advertisement The schedule won't make it any easier on Salaün, Billings, and the Valkyries moving forward. They return home for a Commissioner's Cup matchup with the Minnesota Lynx. They'll have to find an answer for early MVP favorite Napheesa Collier, if she's available. She's averaging a league high 26.8 points per game as well as 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals. It's a challenge Salaün is well aware of. 'We're gonna get back to work and we have more games to come,' Salaün said. 'Minnesota, it's going to be tough also.'
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How Valkyries must survive after EuroBasket absences
The post How Valkyries must survive after EuroBasket absences appeared first on ClutchPoints. The 2025 FIBA EuroBasket tournament quickly approaching means question marks for the Golden State Valkyries, the newest addition to the WNBA. Advertisement Starters Janelle Salaün (France) and Temi Fagbenle (Great Britain) headline the international players likely headed for EuroBasket, as well as key role players Julie Vanloo (Belgium) and Cecilia Zandalasini (Italy). While only Salaün and Vanloo have officially made statements regarding their intention to play for their national teams, Fagbenle is listed as the team captain for Great Britain, and Zandalasini is listed on Italy's official roster. As of June 5th, all 12 players are with the team in Phoenix for the Valkyries game with the Mercury, sources tell ClutchPoints. The team has yet to confirm when exactly the potential EuroBasket players will depart from the team, as that is still an ongoing discussion. That spells the first big question for the Valkyries: How many games will they miss? The simple answer: somewhere between 6-to-10 games. But projecting precisely when Golden State's international players return is a little more complicated. Per the WNBA CBA's current prioritization rules, players committed to their national teams can leave no earlier than two weeks before the event begins. Additionally, they must return within 48 hours after their teams finish play according to Article XIV, Section 9(d) of the CBA. Advertisement With that in mind, EuroBasket spans from June 18th to June 29th, with the group stage ending June 21st- 22nd. That makes June 23-24 the earliest date they can return and July 1st the latest. The Valkyries play seven games between now and the end of the Group Stage and another three during the Knockout stage. As a result, when these four players return depends on how far their national teams get into the tournament. How does that affect Valkyries? Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Losing four players for three weeks would not be good for any team, but it's especially difficult for this Valkyries team. Golden State has been very publicly vocal about the fact that this team lacks on-court reps together because they are an expansion team in its first season. It's hard to imagine that losing four players less than 10 games into the season will make their on-the-fly chemistry-building process any easier. Advertisement From an X's and O's standpoint, the Valkyries will lose a lot of frontcourt depth. With Salaün and Fagbenle gone, Golden State is down its starting power forward and center without a clear pathway to replicating their strengths. The spacing and playmaking both bigs provide have been invaluable to head coach Natalie Nakase's emphasis on tempo and shooting. And in that same vein, Vanloo and Zandalasini have been Nakase's change-up pitch off the bench when the team needs some juice and energy. But looking glass half full, the leave of absence creates an opportunity for the players who are staying. One of the underlying storylines with the Valkyries so far is their rotational log jam. With 12 players collected through an expansion draft, the Valkyries don't have any superstars. However, they still have a bunch of role players all capable of seeing the floor, which is a good and a bad problem. It makes the Valkyries a very versatile team, which allows Nakase to take a matchup-oriented approach at the expense of rotational consistency. That leads to players like Kate Martin and Carla Leite occasionally catching DNPs even though they do log big minutes in certain games. The absence of these international players frees up minutes for the remaining Valkyries to cement themselves in the rotation by the time they return. Potential roster moves for the Valkyries Luckily, Golden State's other international players, Leite (France) and Kyara Linskens (Belgium), have reportedly not committed to their respective national teams, which leaves the Valkyries with eight rostered players. That allows them to sign two players to emergency hardship contracts to get back to 10 available players per the WNBA's team-building rules. That leaves first-time general manager Ohemaa Nyanin with some potentially pivotal roster decisions. Advertisement Backcourt-wise, Tiffany Hayes, Veronica Burton, Leite, and Martin should be enough. That leaves the Valkyries with needs in the frontcourt. Nakase is bound to trust Stephanie Talbot, Monique Billings, and Linskens on that front, with some potential small-ball Kayla Thornton lineups. But none of those players are consistent 3-point shooters, and size remains an issue despite Linskens' 6-7 stature. Among the familiar names to look out for are training camp participants Laeticia Amihere, Chloe Bibby, and Elissa Cunane. There's no official reporting on their current whereabouts, but they'd make seamless fits because they are familiar with Nakase's system. It's unlikely fan-favorite Kaitlyn Chen will rejoin the team due to her recent commitment to the 3XBA league, based around 3-on-3 basketball. That leaves one more huge question for the Valkyries: What does this team look like when everyone returns? It is difficult to project what the Valkyries look like in a month. While other WNBA teams have waived players who committed to EuroBasket, it's unlikely Golden State does the same because of how crucial all four departures are in their lineup. But a rotational shakeup is not out of the realm if players like Leite and Martin showcase their value. In any case, EuroBasket adds some roadblocks for a Valkyries team that is currently 2-4. How they answer that challenge depends on how the remaining players rally. Related: Valkyries veteran guard gets crucial injury update for Mercury clash
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Coco Gauff wins French Open: Michelle and Barack Obama, LeBron James, Billie Jean King and Carlos Alcaraz congratulate 21-year-old star
On Saturday, Coco Gauff etched her name into tennis history as the winner of the 2025 French Open. The 21-year-old tennis phenom defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to win her first title at Roland-Garros and her second Grand Slam. After Gauff's big win, the young American earned the praises of a number of big names, who applauded Gauff for her tenacity and talent. Advertisement Former First Lady Michelle Obama congratulated Gauff in a post on X, alongside a video of Gauff's championship point. "Your determination, strength, and grace throughout the French Open has inspired us all — and showed us what's possible. Proud of you!" Obama wrote. President Barack Obama chimed in soon after. "Congratulation to @CocoGauff for an amazing championship at the French Open — the first American singles champion at @RolandGarros in a decade," the former president wrote in a post on X. "You make us all proud." LeBron James seconded Barack Obama's message, congratulating Gauff, who was a Team USA flagbearer alongside James at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Billie Jean King, the founder of the WTA, saluted Gauff on social media soon after her victory, congratulating her on her accomplishments. "Outstanding!" King added in the post. Gauff was also praised by another young tennis star, Carlos Alcaraz. "Many congrats @CocoGauff!!!" he wrote on X. Alcaraz will play in his own French Open final on Sunday against Jannik Sinner. Another tennis champ, Martina Navratilova, also congratulated Gauff on the victory. Advertisement "A great comeback and fight!" Navratilova, who won two French Opens of her own, wrote on social media. Notably, after Gauff won the match, the first person she greeted was director Spike Lee, whom she hugged before she'd even hugged her own parents. Lee, a noted sports fan, was one of many familiar faces in the crowd at Roland-Garros on Saturday. Gauff also earned some praise from actor Matthew McConaughey, who congratulated Gauff for her "2nd major and 1st on clay." New Balance, one of Gauff's sponsors, also honored Gauff in her victory with a cheeky congratulatory post. The company played off of the checklist that Gauff had jokingly posted after forgetting her racket ahead of the first round. Advertisement "Played to perfection," New Balance wrote, along with a checked box next to "Win Paris." And even the volunteer ball kids showed Gauff some love after the match. In a South Florida crossover, the Miami Dolphins and Miami Heat took the time to honor Gauff for her win. Gauff, who was born in Atlanta, grew up in Delray Beach, Florida, and has strong South Florida roots. Perhaps most unexpectedly, the Merriam-Webster dictionary also praised Gauff, alongside a video of the tennis star explaining the definition of the word "love." "Congratulations to Coco Gauff for winning her first French Open title! We really LOVE this," the account wrote.
