Novak Djokovic has given Father Time an incredible fight, but it looks like the 24-time Grand Slam champion is finally running out of gas.
There have been flashes of brilliance for Djokovic this season. He reached the Australian Open final back in February and had an epic victory in the Wimbledon quarterfinals over Felix Auger-Aliassime. That being said, the 39-year-old just suffered a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 loss to Thiago Agustín Tirante in his opening-round match at the Cincinnati Open.
After cruising to a 6-2 result in the first set, Djokovic's body broke down on him. There were moments in the second set where he looked unable to withstand a routine rally.
Aaron Doster-Imagn Images.
Once this Saturday's match went final, a handful of tennis fans came to the agreement that Djokovic should retire after this season is over.
"Djokovic I really think it's time to retire," one fan wrote on X. "Goated in the game, spirit willing but the body is failing."
"Unfortunately Djokovic needs to retire and probably will either this season or next," a second fan said.
"I'm a Djokovic fan, but it’s time he retires," another fan commented. "He doesn't play for weeks and comes to Cincinnati out of shape. He gets beat by a player who’s not rated high. His days are over."
Don't expect Novak Djokovic to retire just yet.
Djokovic has already said his hope is to “retire at the 2028 Olympic Games" with the Serbian flag in his hands.
With that being said, Djokovic plans on competing in the US Open later this summer. If he can improve his conditioning, there's a good chance he makes a deep run in New York.
After all, Djokovic's record in five-set matches remains pretty spectacular at this stage in his career.
