NEW YORK — Shortly after his 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2 loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semifinals, Novak Djokovic admitted to reporters it would be a challenge for him to defeat Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in majors going forward.
Djokovic, who has been in search of his record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title since the start of the 2024 season, fell in three majors this season to Sinner and Alcaraz, currently the top two players in the world. Djokovic, 38, defeated Alcaraz in the quarterfinals at the year-opening Australian Open but then was forced to retire after the first set of his semifinal match against Alexander Zverev because of a leg injury. Since then, Djokovic has lost in straight sets in the semifinals to Sinner, at the French Open and Wimbledon, and Alcaraz on Friday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“I can do only as much as I can do,” a dejected Djokovic said during his news conference. “Yeah, it will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance best-of-three, but best-of-five, it’s tough.”
Since Djokovic won his last Slam title, at the 2023 US Open, Sinner, 24, and Alcaraz, 22, have combined to win the past seven major titles. The duo has looked to be on a collision course to face off in the US Open final throughout the tournament and could meet with a trophy on the line for the third consecutive Slam. Sinner is slated to play Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday night in the day’s second semifinal clash.
Djokovic has reached the semifinals in all four majors this season but failed to reach a final for the first time in his career since 2017. The Serbian superstar said he was still “happy” with his level of tennis — he had largely cruised into the semifinals in New York — but recognized the gap in his fitness and endurance compared with his younger rivals.
“They’re just too good, you know, playing on a really high level,” Djokovic said. “Unfortunately, I ran out of gas after the second set [against Alcaraz on Friday]. I think I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets. After that, I was gassed out, and he kept going.
“That’s kind of what I felt this year also with Jannik. Yeah, best-of-five makes it very, very difficult for me to play them. Particularly if it’s like the end stages of the Grand Slam.”
Djokovic has hinted that he is nearing the end of his legendary career, saying his loss to Sinner in the French Open semifinals could have been “the last match ever I played here,” but has since indicated he plans to play next season on tour. At Wimbledon, after another semifinal loss, he said that he planned to come back “at least one more time” to play.
On Friday, Djokovic echoed that sentiment and said he wanted to play a “full Grand Slam season next year.” Though he prioritized the majors this year, and opted to skip many of the other tournaments throughout the season, he said he would reconsider that strategy in 2026, as he believes he could be more competitive at those events.
“I do fancy my chances a bit more in best-of-three, I guess, one-week tournaments or the Masters tournaments where you have almost two weeks with quite a few days between matches,” he said. “So, you know, that could serve me better in the matchups against them.”
Djokovic, who is ranked No. 7, is expected to rise to No. 4 in next week’s rankings. He sits in third place — behind Sinner and Alcaraz — in the race to the year-end tour finals, but Djokovic said that he was unsure about the rest of his schedule this season. He is planning on playing a 250-level tournament in Athens, formerly held in Belgrade, in early November but otherwise hasn’t committed to another ATP event. (Djokovic’s brother Djordje had been the tournament director for the event when it was played in Belgrade since 2021 and is believed to be still involved.)
Djokovic said he would consult with his team about the next steps for 2025 and beyond. He added that he was still enjoying playing and was grateful for the continued fan support. The fans were firmly behind him for most of the match Friday against Alcaraz, chanting “No-vak, No-vak” throughout and rising to their feet after long rallies.
“I still enjoy the thrill of competition,” Djokovic said. “Today, I received amazing support again on the court from the crowd. Very thankful for that. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Yeah, that’s one of the biggest reasons why I keep on going. The love that I’ve been getting around the world has been amazing the last couple of years.”