Tennis great Novak Djokovic out of French Open and may not be backed: ‘I was a bit emotional'

7NEWS

a day ago

Tennis great Novak Djokovic may not play again Roland Garros.
After losing to the top-ranked Jannik Sinner 6-4 7-5 7-6 (7-3) in Friday's semi-final on Court Philippe-Chatrier, Djokovic has hinted that it is possibly his last time at the French Open.
As he left the court, the 38-year-old was cheered by the crowd in a stirring send-off.
An emotional Djokovic soaked it all up, and appeared to say goodbye to the red clay as he bowed down and touched the ground.
The simple act left tennis fans in a spin.
'NOOOOOOOOO NOVAK DJOKOVIC NOOOOOOOOO 😭😭😭😭🥲🥲🥲🥲 what I am reading?' an emotional fan said, while sharing the image of the Djokovic gesture.
And another: 'It's not the end but the gesture meant something — Djokovic touched the Roland Garros clay as he walked off the court. Maybe it's his last RG match (he also said it), maybe not (I hope) but so happy to have witnessed it.'
And another: 'Why does it feel like he is not coming back next season. With Andy, Roger and Rafa gone, Nole hanging his boots up will truly be an end to the golden era of tennis.'
And another: 'This makes me a little sad ... Much respect to his accomplishments, and all the wonderful things he brought to the sport.'
After the loss to Sinner, the media also quizzed Djokovic about his French Open future.
His response was also a little cryptic.
'This could have been the last match ever I play here,' he said.
'So ... I don't know ... that's why I was a bit more emotional in the end.
'But if this was the farewell match of Roland Garros for me and my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd.
'I said it could have been my last match, I didn't say it was. I don't know right now ... 12 months in this point of my career is quite a long time
'Do I wish to play more? Yes, I do. But will I be able to play in 12 months time here again? I don't know.
'So yeah, that's all I can say for the moment.'
As for Sinner, he has set up a French Open final against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
He has become only the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland-Garros after Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion.
Djokovic, the men's record 24-time Grand Slam champion, simply could not counter Sinner's relentless accuracy and pounding forehands.
In the earlier semi-final, Alcaraz led 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-0, 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti when the eighth-seeded Italian retired with a leg injury.
Sinner extended his winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments to 20 matches, after winning the US Open and the Australian Open.
Djokovic was bidding for a record-extending 38th Grand Slam final, and an eighth in Paris, where he was won three times.
But he spent much of the match camped behind the baseline, sliding at full stretch and grunting loudly while Sinner sent him scurrying left and right like a windscreen wiper.
A cross-court two-handed backhand winner from Sinner in the ninth game of the third set was executed with such pure timing that it drew applause even from Djokovic.
Djokovic fought back in the third set but wilted in the tiebreaker, somehow missing an easy smash at the net to trail 3-0 and then lost on the second match point he faced when his forehand hit the net.
Sinner said: 'These are rare and special moments. I'm very happy.'
Alcaraz is attempting to become only the third man to retain his Roland Garros title this century, after Rafa Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten,
'It's never great to go through like this,' Alcaraz said, before hailing Musetti's achievement of reaching at least the semi-finals of all four elite claycourt events this year.
'He's a great player, he has had an incredible claycourt season ... I wish him a speedy recovery and I'm sure we'll be enjoying his tennis pretty soon.'
Musetti twice denied Alcaraz the chance to break in the opening nine games before the 23-year-old suddenly dialled up the intensity and snatched the opening set when his Spanish opponent produced errors in a poor service game.
A frustrated Alcaraz kicked his bench during the second set but finally found a way through Musetti's dogged defence to draw level after a tiebreak and then produced a dazzling display of power and precision to dish out a bagel in the third set.
Musetti, who appeared to be hampered by a left thigh issue midway through the third set, threw in the towel after two games in the fourth.
'The first two sets were tough. I had chances to be up in the match but couldn't make the most of them,' Alcaraz added.
'When I won the second set, I was relieved and I knew that I needed to be aggressive and be myself. I was calmer. I could see clearer and I could play great tennis at the start of the third.
'I'm feeling great physically. It's been three intense weeks but I have one more step to take. I'm playing great tennis and I have great confidence. I've been doing great things in this tournament and now is the time to give 100 per cent in the final.'