‘This could have been the last match here’: Novak Djokovic uncertain of French Open return after Jannik Sinner semi-final jolt

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Djokovic, whose win tally at the French Open is only second to Rafael Nadal, kissed his hand and then placed it on the clay, hinting at a probable farewell to the stadium. (AP)

Novak Djokovic’s herculean bid to for a record 25th Grand Slam title ended with a hard-hitting straight sets defeat to world no. 1 Jannik Sinner in the semi-final of the French Open 2025 on Friday night. Despite putting on a stiff fight against the Italian at Court Philippe-Chatrier, Djokovic had to bow out with the scoreline reading 4-6, 5-7, 6-7 against the Serb.

Visibly emotional after the defeat, the 38-year-old Serb said that he might have just played his last match at the Roland Garros, where he has championed thrice in 2016, 2021 and 2023. Djokovic, whose wins tally at the Parisian slam is only second to Rafael Nadal, kissed his hand and then placed it on the clay, hinting at a probable farewell to the stadium.

Djokovic on French Open farewell

Speaking during the post-match press conference, Djokovic said, “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.”

“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,” Djokovic added.

“Do I wish to play more? Yes, I do. But will I be able to play in 12 months here again? I don’t know. That’s all I can say for the moment,” he remarked.

"I tried to show my gratitude to the crowd"

Novak Djokovic comes back on how he felt during the match in his press conference 🎙️#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/BrhJ91pAla

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 6, 2025

On the brink of history as he targets his 25th Grand Slam title to go past Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam titles in tennis history, Djokovic said he will target the next two slams of the season for now.