Novak Djokovic, 38, hinted at a potential farewell to Roland Garros after his defeat in the French Open semi-finals against world number one Jannik Sinner on Friday. The three-time champion lost 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) and took a moment to express gratitude to the Paris crowd after the match.
Djokovic paused briefly while leaving Court Philippe Chatrier, showing appreciation to the spectators in what could have been his final appearance at the prestigious tournament.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!"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. But if this was the farewell match of Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd. Not the happiest because of the loss, but, you know, I tried to show my gratitude to the crowd, because they were terrific."
Despite his occasionally strained relationship with the Parisian public, Djokovic praised the unprecedented support he received during the match.
"I don't think I have ever received this much support in this stadium in my career in big matches against the best players in the world. So very, very honoured to experience that."
The Serbian champion reassured fans about his immediate future in tennis, confirming his plans to continue competing in Grand Slams.
"At the moment I will try to stick with the plan what I had, which is play the Grand Slams. Those tournaments are the priorities of my schedule, my calendar. Wimbledon and US Open, yes, they are in plans. That's all I can say right now. I'm going to, unless something, I don't know, happens, whatever. But I feel like I want to play Wimbledon, I want to play US Open. Those two, for sure. For the rest, I'm not so sure."
Djokovic remains focused on securing his record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, which would surpass Margaret Court's record.
"Obviously Wimbledon is next, which is my childhood favourite tournament. I'm going to do everything possible to get myself ready. I guess my best chances (of winning) maybe are Wimbledon, you know, to win another Slam, or faster hard court, maybe Australia or something like that."
When questioned about his contemplation of retiring from Roland Garros, Djokovic responded enigmatically.
"Not long. You know, I don't know. I don't know really what tomorrow brings in a way at this point in my career. You know, I going to keep on keeping on."
Djokovic's history at Roland Garros spans 21 consecutive appearances, with championships in 2016, 2021, and 2023. He also claimed Olympic gold at the venue last summer.
His opponent Sinner expressed hope that this wouldn't be Djokovic's final appearance in Paris.
"We hope that it's not the case, because I feel like tennis needs him in a way. He said 'maybe', so you never know."
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