Not even the great Novak Djokovic can defeat Father Time, but make no mistake, he's going to give it his best shot.
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, made history earlier this week at Wimbledon by defeating No. 3 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) in a quarterfinal match that lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes. It's the longest quarterfinal ever recorded at the All England Club.
“These are the kind of moments that I still play tennis for,” Djokovic said. “I’m still able to battle these young guys that have 15 years less than me. I’m able to beat them at the tightest possible scoreline. … In a sense, it is really a nice surprise. But at the same time, I always have the highest expectations for myself.”
© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images.
Unfortunately for Djokovic, he ran out of gas against an in-for Jannik Sinner this Friday. The world No. 1 put together a clinical performance to secure a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win.
"The last one, he won in semis of Australia," Sinner said. "I try to make a couple adjustments even though here on grass it’s very difficult. He had a very tough match against Felix, which we will remember I think forever here in this arena. I tried to stay quite aggressive, serving very well, which helped me a lot today. He’s from my point of view the best returner we have in our game. So I try to mix it up. I’m very happy about today’s performance."
Though it's not a huge surprise, Djokovic received a standing ovation as he was walking off Centre Court.
While his greatness isn't taken for granted, some tennis fans believe Djokovic should retire after the US Open. Will he though?
What's the plan for Djokovic?
Earlier this year, Djokovic said his hope is to "retire at the 2028 Olympic Games with the Serbian flag in my hands." If that's true, he'll be playing until he's 41 years old.
Djokovic has proven he can still compete against the best in the world, making the Australian Open final and Wimbledon semifinals this season. Even his loss to Joao Fonseca at the French Open was a five-set classic.
Will Djokovic's body hold up until 2028? We're not sure, but we highly doubt he'll retire after the 2026 US Open.
If anything, we expect Djokovic to get himself in form so he's got a chance at winning a fifth title in Queens, New York. And if all goes well, we expect to see him in Melbourne in January.
